Sea Prayer

Point of view refers to the perspective through which the story is told. This text is narrated by Marwan’s father, who is unnamed. Although a large part of the story references events that both Marwan and his father were present for, it is the father’s memory that is relied upon. Since they hear these events through this particular narrator, the reader is prompted to join him in focusing his attention on Marwan instead of other subjects. Here, the point of view perpetuates the Loss of Identity that everyone but Marwan experiences. Because the narrator’s focus is his family, the story does not include events that other people went through and instead focuses so tightly on the experiences he wants Marwan to remember that other details, like dates or names, are ignored.

Not only does the perspective of Marwan’s father affects the focus on Marwan as “the most precious [cargo] there ever was” (43), but this narrator is also limited in time. His perspective is limited to the information he knows while awaiting sunrise on the beach. He cannot know the result of the journey or what awaits them should they reach their destination.