Narrator and point of view

The short story “Saving Mr Ugwu” by Lin Anderson is a third-person narration in which the narrator uses the point of view of one of the characters, Mr Ugwu.

Although the story is mostly told in the third-person, there is one exception in the beginning of the narrative when the narrator uses the first-person and addresses readers directly: “He waits for rain as you or I wait for a knock at the door; for the telephone to ring; listening.” (ll. 2-3)

This exception helps build a rapport with the readers and makes them relate to the main character, Mr Ugwu.

Using Mr Ugwu’s point of view enables the narrator to give readers access to the character’s thoughts which further helps the author create empathy between the character and the readership: “When...