Point of View

Saeed tells her story from Amal’s perspective to emphasize the novel’s key themes. Employing the perspective of a child captures Amal’s abrupt transition from innocence to experience. For example, Amal only learns that her community perceives girls as undesirable at twelve years old, following the birth of baby Lubna. Amal’s realization indicates that she remained ignorant to the reality of sexism and female oppression in Pakistan prior to Lubna’s birth. After Amal learns about female inferiority in Pakistan, she begins noticing and questioning sexist issues more frequently, drawing attention to the significant role sexism plays in Amal’s story. As direct observers of Amal’s thoughts, readers witness her transition from ignorance to understanding.

Amal’s young perspective additionally lends itself to dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when readers know something a character does not. Though Amal initially struggles to...