Point of View

Goodbye, Vitamin is written from the first person point of view. The narration is written in the present tense. Written in the form of Ruth's diary, the novel not only captures Ruth's daily routine, but also her frequent musings about life, memory, loss, and friendship. An example of one such musing takes place when Ruth writes about her excessive drinking during a New Years party: "Originally it was champagne, and now it's champagne swished with bourbon, because my thinking is always, if I'm going to poison myself, why not make it count?" (22). Khong's choice to write the book from Ruth's perspective offers the reader an insight into the main character's mind during a complicated time in her life. The reader instantly feels a direct connection with Ruth, and is able to empathize with her breakup and her rocky relationship with her mother and father.

The...