Characterization of the narrator

The man character in Souvankham Thammavongsa’s short story “Edge of the World” is the unnamed narrator. She is of Lao origin but has lived abroad all her life in what might be Canada since Thammavongsa arrived in this country as an immigrant herself. 

The narrator presents events from her childhood, starting when she was about four years old (l. 1). At the end of the story, the narrator is 45 (l. 133) and there are indications that she lives alone and has no family.

The narrator seems to be deeply affected by her mother leaving her when she was very young. Even after so many years, she still misses her mother: “I wake from these dreams raw, a child still, though I am 45 now, and grieve the loss of her again and again.” (ll. 133-134). The narrator’s sadness at the l...