Point of View

Vuong writes On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous from the first person point of view of an unnamed 28-year-old man. Written as a letter from the narrator to his estranged mother, the narrative is an intimate dialogue between family members, as well as a personal mode of expression and exploration for the narrator. The direct address narrative vantage allows the reader to feel she is witnessing the most intimate and vulnerable facets of the narrator's psychic and emotional terrain.

This point of view creates a trust between the reader and narrator. Because the reader is experiencing a series of memories, admissions, and confessions from the narrator, she is able to believe in the authenticity of the narrative voice and evolution. If the author had written the novel from a more distanced point of view, he would not be able to access the narrator's mental space with...