Point of View

The point of view of Monkey Beach is for the most part first-person from Lisa's point of view. The narration switches from present-tense to past-tense, going as far back as when Lisa was five-years old. Lisa is an unreliable narrator, although only to the extent that there are often gaps in her understanding of the events transpiring before her. There are also portions of the novel that are narrated from a more omniscient perspective; these sections usually relate metaphorically to what is taking place in Lisa's narration, but not in a didactic way. These interludes usually feature an addressee and portend shifts in Lisa's story.

As the novel progresses, Lisa's understanding of the action occurring around her becomes clearer. This is because of her growing up and understanding the implications of actions more acutely. Lisa's present-tense narration is not particularly introspective; instead, Robinson uses Lisa's...