The story is told in the third person narrative point of view, which means that the reader is an observer of the plot with no access to the thoughts or motives of the characters. This perspective is appropriate for the stark plot structure and desert setting of the story. Everything about the story is minimalist, even the dialogue between Aziza and Ashour, who speak in stilted sentences. At times, Aziza does not speak at all, preferring to use her hands to gesture her answers.

The story progresses slowly to mirror the stunted conversation and the inability of the couple to change their situation at the present. The author uses the sun and shadows not only to indicate time but also to symbolize the control over the couple's life. At the beginning of the story, the author writes, "The sun had passed beyond the central point...