Point of View

Song of a Captive Bird is told by Forough through a first-person, retrospective narrator. Forough tells the story of her own life, from her girlhood to her death. Throughout the narrative, Forough seems aware that she is writing down the story of her life, which will eventually be read by someone. For this reason, she at times acts like a narrator, filling in biographical or historical information. For example, when Forough relates her time in Abadan, reporting on the oil fire there, she gives the reader the political and historical context of this event, beginning the chapter by saying, “For thousands of years, Iran’s oil was the earth’s secret. Whenever the Zoroastrians—the ancient Iranians for whom fire was the essence of life…” (275). In effect, as a story-teller Forough acts as both character and objective narrator, giving both her subjective reactions to her...