Point of View

The novel is told through third-person, past tense point of view. Individual chapters usually are focalized through the perspective of a single character, but some chapters switch between the perspectives of more than one of the Wang family members. The omniscience of the narrator allows the reader to understand the inner thoughts of each individual family member, including the Wang's ancient Mercedes, but the perspectives explored by the narrative are limited to the Wang family. In this way, the reader can see what each family member perceives about the others, the world around them, and their situation, but the narrative does not offer any outside perspectives about the Wangs themselves.

Language and Meaning

The novel uses straightforward and engaging language, often adopting the cadence and thought processes of the individual characters each chapter focuses on. While the language of the narrator might be considered straightforward...