Point of View

One of the most innovative aspects of the novel is the fact that it is told not from the point of view of Iqbal whose story is being told but rather from the point of view of Fatima, his friend. This point of view helps D’Adamo to achieve multiple objectives that he would not have been able to achieve had the story been told from Iqbal’s point of view.

The first of these objectives is that he is able to establish a baseline of what life was like before Iqbal arrived at the factory. Fatima explains her life in the factory and the despair that permeates their situation. Iqbal does not know this despair because he does not house it himself. Because a baseline is given, the reader can see the effect Iqbal has on other people.

Second, during the times of Iqbal...