Child Narrator in Parents' Bedroom Essay

It shows that she, even as young as she is, is aware of the divides that will soon endanger her life.

Moreover, Akpan can show the sheer absurdity in the extreme oppression and racism exhibited between the two tribes from this very naive childlike perspective. Monique serves as a catalyst for which criticism on the nature of the situation and the reasoning behind the African genocide. The hatred between the members of the family is exposed as being so unnecessary and confusing from Monique's perspective. This confusion really helps expose the genocide for how unnecessary it was. Rather than being bogged down by the biases and prejudices of an adult narrator, the child narrator here really exaggerates the sense of absurdity and ridiculousness involving the foundation behind the genocide. This coincides with the notion that Monique recognizes some of the attackers from her very church. The fact that churchgoers and leaders would be involved in such a genocide is absolutely ridiculous, and her approach in describing them once again shows how critical the situation has become.Unfortunately, the reality of the genocide eventually reaches Monique, violating her childish innocence and image of the world. As the events continue to unfold and increase in violence, Monique becomes more and more enveloped in the chaos that is occurring around her. The reader is being exposed to the narrator's loss of innocence as her family is torn apart by senseless violence. She cries, "I want to sleep, but fear follows me into my room. My fingers are shivering. My head feels heavy and swollen" (Akpan 4). We, as readers, are witnessing fear and violence rob the child narrator from the very essence of being a young and innocent child.

Works Cited

Akpan, Uwem. "My Parents' Bedroom." The New Yorker. 2006. Web. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/06/12/060612fi_fiction.....