Point of View

The novel is told in close third person, alternating between four characters--Tochi, Randeep, Avtar and Narinder. Sahota frequently alternates perspectives between these characters, even within the same chapter. This technique enables the reader to gain insight into each of the characters without focusing too specifically on a single one. The point of view is essential to achieving Sahota’s goal of creating a comprehensive tapestry of voices and narratives in order to create a clear picture of immigration.

Language and Meaning

One of Sahota's primary goals in the novel is to create a comprehensive picture of the daily lives of the characters--the challenges they face, the dreams and hopes they possess, the gritty details of their existence. The linguistic mechanisms in this novel are chosen with this goal in mind. Dialogue is one of the primary tools that helps Sahota achieve this--the dialogue is frequent...