Point of View and Fragmented Narration

"Swaddling Clothes" is not narrated in a straightforward, linear style. While the present action of the narrative is generally progressive (Toshiko leaving the nightclub and heading home in a taxi), the linear progression of events is interrupted by Toshiko's memories and contemplations. The nurse's delivery is also recounted in pieces and from different points of view (Toshiko and her husband's) offering the reader a comparison of the character's attitudes.

There are many reasons why an author may choose to disrupt a traditional, linear narrative with fragmented memories and contemplations—for instance, to use the present action as a mere premise for unearthing the past, to underscore the difficulty and painfulness of remembering the past, or to stress the discontinuity of a character's experience. In this way, a fragmented narrative style can emphasize major themes within the story. For example, Asian-American literature that...