Point of View

The Lotterys Plus One is told from the third-person limited perspective of Sumac, the fifth-oldest child in the Lottery family and a nine-year-old. Because the narrator is herself a child, her point of view connects the young-adult reader to the narrative and allows them to place themselves in the story: Sumac's childlike perspective is relatable and welcoming. For example, Sumac references "oldies" (Location 578) and "'middlies" (Location 578) with derision, advancing a child-centric view: “nine, like Sumac, is just the right age, because you’re not confused by everything the way a little kid like Brian is, but your brain hasn’t been rotted away by hormones yet,” (Location 376) she states, demonstrating both a fixation on age and a pride in her maturity that is typical of a child. Again in accordance with a childlike viewpoint, Sumac’s perception of time is only half-jokingly skewed: “the parents...