Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the past tense and the first person from Etsuko’s perspective. Etsuko is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. However, in many ways, she is rather passive and functions more as an observer of the novel’s events than as an active participant. Nonetheless, Etsuko’s perspective is valuable for more than simply narrating the actions of the other characters. Etsuko’s life has been marked with many instances of loss, transition, trauma, and uncertainty, which is characteristic of most of the characters in the novel. Etsuko is representative of the characters’ struggles to both move on from the past and process the lingering trauma of past tragedies.

On the other hand, Etsuko’s perspective is indeed valuable for narrating, and occasionally commenting on, the actions of the other characters. In conversation, Etsuko does not often share...