Point of View

The novel’s point-of-view is predominantly that of Makina, as told from the third-person perspective. From the opening paragraph and even sentence, the novel immerses the reader in Makina’s private thoughts. When the sinkhole opens, the reader is privy to Makina’s thoughts: “I’m dead, Makina said to herself” (11).

Frequently the reader is granted access into Makina’s interpretation of the events and people she sees around her. This is particularly true of locations. For instance, the reader experiences Mexico City and, later, the United States through Makina’s perspective. Thus, both places are represented as sprawling, potentially dangerous, and certainly strange. For example, Makina observes that the American customers in the supermarket jump nervously in front of the self-checkout counters. This relatively mundane experience, filtered through Makina’s perspective, helps de-naturalize an event and consumer experience that might otherwise seem “natural.”

At...