Point of View

This book is narrated from the first person point of view by 39-year-old Ben, reflecting on his experiences as the youngest of the four fishermen.

Language and Meaning

Ben is telling this story as an adult looking back on events of his childhood, but in doing so he captures much of the juvenile emotion he felt at the time. He has an extensive adult vocabulary, but maintains childlike aspects of his memories. For instance, he makes many comparisons between people and animals because he wanted to be a veterinarian when he grew up. His comparisons reflect his youthful memories, but his vocabulary is adult in nature.

Structure

It seems as though the book is building to a climax of Ikenna dying, but that actually happens about midway through the book. The first eight chapters are expository and build to Ikenna's death. Once that happens, the...