The narrator is the protagonist of The Lover. She relates the events of her affair in Saigon from a point in the future. She is an author and expresses wonder at never having written before about the events of this novel. She is a rounded character, or a character that changes by the novel’s end. She wants to escape the abusive control of her elder brother and her family’s poverty. By having an affair with a much older Chinese man, the narrator gains a sense of independence and an understanding of her femininity. The narrator is self-reflective, frequently psychoanalyzing herself and her family’s influence.

At the beginning of her affair, she yearns for independence. She is obsessed with images, appearance, and social destiny. Her clothes are a focal point; she believes she is able to control how she “seems” to others, to become what others want. Because the affair defines her life in Saigon, she says that the affair had to happen and especially to her; she as a person could not escape the social destiny of having an affair while underage (36).

The narrator is perceptive about her role among the other women in her social circle.