Mala Crime Family Analysis

“Crime Family” Mala mentions, "For a moment, after being shoved to the ground, I even imagined getting up and giving chase until I was reunited with my prize possessions: $70 from baby-sitting gigs, an underused PalmPilot from my first corporate boss, most of my teeny-bopper CD collection, and irreplaceably, a college semester's worth of notes. At least the ordeal was over." (1). The writer mentions the stolen items because the items are important to her, and they cannot be replaced. I wonder why somebody would steal a college semester's worth of notes (1). At the beginning, Mala describes her stolen possessions, but she does not mention the stolen items again (1). In the end, Mala wonders why the two women followed the three suspects (15). The writer forgets about her stolen possessions and remembers the elderly woman (16). She wonders why the elderly woman is educated and is a suitable guardian (16).
I think that the two women followed the three suspects because they are the family of the three suspects. The writer mentions, "The police
A lot would be gained to the story if it was told from the third-person point of view. The story would include the thoughts of the two women. First person limits the reader to Mala's perspective, and third person is told from multiple points of view. The reader would know why the two women followed the three suspects. Mala mentions, "Without warning, the suspects bounded down the stairs and out the door, followed wordlessly by the two women. I did what New Yorkers do best and avoided eye contact." (11). The three suspect's perspectives would include their reaction to not getting arrested (11). I wonder what the police thought when they were unable to arrest the three suspects (11). The writer mentions, "The police later told me they had always been sure that they had the right guys, but a lack of physical evidence made it impossible to hold anyone in custody."