Point of View

The short story is written from the main character Sirena's first person point of view. Sirena tells her account from her adult perspective, relaying the story of her childhood years following her family's death to her child. The author does not reveal this narrative frame until the latter pages of the short story when Sirena says, "Martin was sick, that would become certain, and I would love him because he was all I had until I had you" (176). On the morning after staying on the rocks all night by herself, Sirena looks down and sees Martin on the shore below. She is surprised to suddenly notice how small and weak Martin looks. This revelation inspires the shift in Sirena's narrative perspective and tone. Suddenly her voice shifts into the future and she begins describing her childhood experiences in a retrospective voice. The sudden appearance of...