1. First-Person Child Narrator

• The story is told through the voice of a nine-year-old girl, which shapes the entire tone and perspective.

• Her narration is simple, honest, and often distracted, reflecting a child’s limited understanding of the adult world.

• This technique creates dramatic irony:

  • The reader understands the seriousness of the parents’ situation.

  • The narrator does not.

  • cf. "This is going to be really boring [...]. We are in the immigration office"

• This gap between knowledge and innocence makes the story emotionally powerful.

2. Stream-of-Consciousness Elements

• Much of the story follows the narrator’s wandering thoughts, especially her associations with the colour green.

  • cf. "Green is for vegetables. I will never eat mine."

• These moments mimic the natural flow of a child’s mind, shifting quickly from observation to memory to imagination.

  • cf. "Green is for envy. My best friend Celeste is trying to [...]"

• The lack of rigid structure in her thoughts emphasises her youthful perspective and contrasts with the strict, formal environment of the immigration office.

3. Minimalism and Subtlety

• Atta’s style is understated. She rarely states emotions directly—especially the parents’ fears.

• Instead, meaning is revealed through small details, gestures, and brief comments.

  • cf. "Mom said people didn't know the sacrifices we had to make."

• This minimalist approach invites readers to infer the deeper emotional stakes.

4. Use of Contrast

Atta repeatedly uses contrast for effect:

• Child vs. adult mindset

• Freedom vs. restriction

• Colourful imagination vs. grey bureaucracy

• American-born child vs. immigrant parents

• cf. "I’m just a kid."

These contrasts deepen the themes without heavy exposition.

5. Symbolism Integrated into Narrative Voice

• The colour green serves as the key motif, but what makes it distinctive is how it appears.

• Its meanings emerge naturally through the narrator’s voice — playful, confused, sometimes thoughtful.

• This technique keeps the symbolism connected to character, not just theme.

• cf. "Green is for the color I like most–yellow. Green is for a color I can’t stand–blue. Green is a mixture of blue and yellow. Green is for confusion."

6. Dialogue as Character Insight

• Dialogue is used sparingly but effectively.

• The parents’ brief conversations reveal their worry and hope without long speeches.

• Their calm, measured tone contrasts with the narrator’s lively internal monologue.

• cf. “How long will it take?” I ask. “You never know,” he says. “What if it takes all day?” “We’ll wait.”

7. Observational Detail

• The narrator describes the waiting room—the people, the TV, the atmosphere—in ways that seem simple but carry emotional weight.

• Her observations help build a sense of place and subtly highlight the tension the adults feel.

• cf. "There are people here who look like Mr. Gonzalez. Indian looking people too [...]. There are people who look Chinese to me"

• cf. "We sit in plastic purple chairs joined together, Mom and me. Dad stands in line"

8. Blending of Past and Present

• The story shifts smoothly between:

  • the present moment in the immigration office, and

  • memories the narrator only partly understands.

• These shifts help reveal the family’s history and the impact of immigration rules, while staying rooted in a child’s point of view.

• cf. "“What’s it like being African?” my friend Celeste asked when we used to be friends. “I don’t know,” I told her."

9. Gentle Humour

• The narrator’s innocent comments and associations create moments of light humour, preventing the story from becoming too heavy.

• This humour contrasts with the parents’ anxiety and reinforces the theme of childhood innocence.

• cf. "I’m like what, in the world right now? “You guys,” I say."