Point of View

Jenny Erpenbeck primarily utilizes a third-person limited perspective that focuses on Richard, the retired classics professor, but occasionally shifts to provide glimpses into the inner thoughts of the refugees. This strategic manipulation of point of view serves multiple narrative and thematic purposes throughout the novel.

The predominant third-person narration tied to Richard's consciousness allows readers to experience his gradual transformation from detached observer to engaged advocate. We follow his thought processes as he moves from intellectual curiosity about the refugee crisis to genuine human connection with individual asylum seekers. This perspective creates an effective entry point for readers who, like Richard, might approach the refugee crisis from a position of relative privilege and distance. By witnessing Richard's evolving understanding, readers are invited to examine their own assumptions and emotional distance from similar humanitarian issues.

However, Erpenbeck doesn't confine her narrative entirely to Richard's perspective. At...