Point of View

The story in Brick Lane is told mainly in the third person, from Nazneen's point of view. The reader sees all the major and minor characters through her eyes. As she becomes more mature, so do her observations. We thus get to see the other characters in more depth as the novel progresses. The back-story of the novel comes from Nazneen's memories and daydreams.

A portion of the story is told in the first person in the form of letters written to Nazneen by her younger sister Hasina. Writing from Dhaka, Hasina's commentary informs the reader about societal issues and the plight of poor women in that part of the world. Hasina also gives us some insight into the prevailing politics at the time.

Setting

Nazneen's story unfolds on two continents, Asia and Europe. It begins in Gouripur, a village in the Mymensingh District of East...