Point of View

The novel is narrated in the third-person, switching between the perspectives of the entire family, including Mama and Papa’s perspectives. The author places no limitations on the access to any of the character’s inner thoughts, allowing the reader to understand each person’s true motivations and conflicts, though they are not always truthful with all of the members of the family despite their close bonds. In fact, the characters are often untruthful with the people closest to them, or they work actively to conceal their thoughts and feelings out of fear of judgement or rejection. They also conceal their thoughts or motivations because they are preoccupied with trying to protect the other members of the family. For example, Mama and Papa share their fears about having to leave the city for the suburbs due to their financial constraints. They keep this knowledge from...