Point of View

The novel is written from protagonist Yunjae's first person point of view. Yunjae begins his narrative saying: "This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me" (viii). This line successfully inspires an ominous narrative atmosphere. Even before Yunjae teaches the reader about his brain condition, he immediately appears unlike other narrators. As the novel unfolds, the reader gradually acquires more information about Yunjae's diagnosis, details which clarify Yunjae's measured, unaffected narrative tone. Because he is unable "to feel emotions, [or] identify other people's feelings," Yunjae does not describe his world or experiences with sentimentality (10). Even his mother and grandmother's displays of love do not affect Yunjae. He says that he "couldn't have cared less" whether he was "normal or not" (15). Yunjae's indifference gives the narrative world a monotone cast. Everything he sees and experiences is untinged by...