Point of View

Melchor uses a third person point of view throughout the novel, as an anonymous and omniscient narrator follows different characters in each chapter. Quotations are never used for lines of dialogue, as everything is reported through the narrator’s voice. Melchor implements the use of free indirect discourse, which adds depth to the third person narration. Free indirect discourse allows the narrator’s voice to reflect the voices of the different characters; the narrator reveals characters’ thoughts and feelings, but in a way that is so detailed that the narrator and character can appear as if they are one singular voice. For example, in Brando’s chapter, one line states, “he was no fucking fag, right?” (196). Though the narrator is speaking, the language used mirrors Brando’s speech, and the question at the end reflects Brando’s insecurity about his sexuality. Thus, even though the...