Point of View

The School for Good Mothers is told through third-person limited narration with a focus on Frida’s point of view. This is especially useful given how Frida rarely verbalizes what she is thinking or feeling. Frida cites her Chinese upbringing as being responsible for her more private disposition. Regardless of the reason for her frequent silences, the narrator helps the reader understand the emotional turmoil Frida goes through on account of losing her daughter.

This narration style remains consistent throughout the novel. The narrator generally adheres to melancholy tone, in keeping with Frida’s depressed state of mind. For instance, Frida’s guilt over losing Harriet inspires suicidal thoughts in her: “Perhaps, instead of being monitored, a bad mother should be thrown into a ravine” (27). This dark imagery illustrates Frida’s disturbed mental state. Frida continues to fantasize about killing herself throughout the novel—something...