Point of View

The story is written in the second person and the past tense, and these narrative choices serve the function of the narrative in counterintuitive ways. For example, the second-person narration is used as a means by which Yunior addresses himself while recounting his won story, but it also serves to draw the reader into the story with the use of the pronoun “you” instead of “I,” thereby indirectly compelling the reader to associate with Yunior’s personal circumstances. Moreover, the use of the present tense places emphasis on the specific actions and emotions of each moment in the story as the narrative develops. However the story is in some ways a retrospective, with Yunior looking back on his actions so as to process their significance in his life.

The novel strictly maintains Yunior’s perspective throughout, as the reader only receives information of which Yunior...