Narrator and point of view

The narrator of the short story “Chameleon” by Ranbir Sahota is the main character, Rita Patel.

As a narrator, Rita has limited knowledge regarding the other characters. For instance, she only finds out about Mark lying to his mother when he tells her: “ ‘I told her we’d split up on the phone this afternoon’ (…) ‘Rita, she wouldn’t speak to me until I did. It was the easiest thing to do. I’m sorry.’ ” (p. 6, ll. 12-15) The narrator only has access to what she observes and what other characters tell her. Based on that, the narrator can make assumptions about other characters, such as that her parents are incapable of changing their attitude towards mixed-race relationships “…they would never change” (p. 13, l. 21).

The use of Rita’s point of view when telling the story helps readers understand what it is like to be an Indian girl raised in a conservative family, and the conflict between respecting tradition while living in a modern way. At the same...