Point of View

The novel is written in the third person. This point of view is reliable and omniscient. The narrator can relate both the events of the novel and the feelings of the characters. This point of view works well for the novel because numerous characters are followed at different stages of the book. Though Chen is the main character, there are times when he takes a subsidiary role and Yu, Peiqin, or Zhang becomes the main character of a particular chapter. The reader is allowed to see the thoughts, emotions and prejudices of the characters, creating a greater dramatic impact and empathy with a wider range of characters within the book.

The author uses a number of different techniques to tell the story. There are long passages of exposition and political and cultural context for the story interspersed with frequent, extended dialogue. Official reports and transcripts are...