Point of View

The Selection is told from America Singer’s point of view, without any narrative intervention to provide other viewpoints than her own. America is a middle child, third of five, in a family of artisans. She is not a natural performer, but she enjoys her own life and making her own decisions. She is still young and fairly naïve, although like the stereotypical American girl, she is sassy and independent, even when she does not know what the consequences of her sassiness might be. In the beginning this makes for irony, as the reader knows that America is cut out for bigger things than she would admit. Later, however, it makes for potential complications, as America allows situations to develop that will require cruelty and possible danger to resolve.

Language and Meaning

America’s vocabulary is not very sophisticated, though most students will probably...