Point of View

"Becoming the Baby Girl" is written from Ofunne's first person point of view. The author writes the narrative from Ofunne's perspective, because the story is primarily concerned with a young girl's coming of age, journey out of innocence, and search for her authentic identity. As Ofunne departs her hometown and leaves her parents behind, she desperately tries to hold on to her past, and to the version of self her parents hope and expect her to be. The early passages of the narrative, therefore, are saturated with iterations of Ofunne's father's words. When her father drives her to the bus station, Ofunne says he "fills me up with don't forget advice": "'Don't forget where you come from.' 'Don't forget where you're going to.' 'Don't forget to choose the right company'" (192, 193). Throughout the passages that follow, Ofunne repeats these words to herself. She thinks...