Point of View

Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon is mostly written from Nacib's point of view, in the third-person, yet in a few sections, Nacib is not even present, and readers are treated to a third-person narrative. The author switches easily, so that readers learn the thoughts of a character like Colonel Ramiro Bastos in one section, Mundinho Falcão in the next, and then a totally different character like Tuísca or Fagundes in another. The language also changes subtly based on the person whose thoughts are being exposed, which clarifies who is thinking what.

For example, in the section titled, "Of a Political Boss in the Sun," readers see the perspective change from Nacib, who has been busy searching for a new cook, to Colonel Ramiro Bastos. Although Ramiro's thoughts become the principal view in the section, the Colonel's simple acknowledgement of the Captain also reveals the Captain's...