Narrator and point of view

The short story “Aline’s Journey” by Edwidge Danticat is told from the first-person point of view of the narrator, Aline, a young girl who is also the main character. 

The narrator can only offer her own interpretation of the events she witnesses. Even so, we can obtain a very good understanding of the unexpected and serious nature of the journey from her detailed account, even though the narrator herself does not understand the meaning of everything from the beginning. Some of the clues which give away that their journey is undertaken at short notice and for a serious reason are: “Papa says we must hurry” (p. 13, l. 3), and “I can’t say goodbye to anyone.” (p. 13, l. 9). This suggests that they must be both fast and secretive. Also, “It’s a full moon” (p. 13, l. 14) suggests they are leaving stealthily, in the middle of the night. 

Most...