Point of View

The story is written in the present tense and the third person, limited to the Mother’s perspective. Although the narration is written in the third person, it still conveys and adheres to the Mother’s personal interiority. Thus, the Mother’s thoughts and feelings are often conveyed to the reader, while the exact thoughts and feelings of the other characters can only be inferred. Such inferences are generally simple regarding the character of the Husband, who outwardly demonstrates his feelings of distress following the Baby’s diagnosis. However, it is much more difficult to infer the true thoughts and feelings of the medical staff, as they maintain a consistent veneer of false-seeming optimism that grates on the Mother with its opacity.

Much of the thematic and dramatic tension is based around exploring the Mother’s perspective as it shifts throughout the central ordeal of...