Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
First Person
By the time the book is over, we feel like we're good friends with Ji-li. Why? She's been talking to us for a couple hundred pages. Not only that, but she shares all the gory details of her life; she doesn't just tell us what happened, Ji-li also explains how she feels about things.
Remember when she helps destroy a sign because it's a four old? When she relays the experience to her family, she's surprised by their reaction. Listen to what she says:
I knew the movement was vital to our country's future, and I did not understand how Mom and Dad could not be interested in it. (2.41)
Notice the I's tucked in there? That's how we know this book
is in first person—whenever the