Point of View

The novel is told in the third person, but the point of view is Jeff's. The reader has access to Jeff's emotions and opinions, which is critical for a character unable to express these feelings for the first half of the novel. The reader sees characters and their actions through Jeff's eyes, which sometimes causes misleading result, as with the Professor and Melody in the early chapters. As Jeff matures and evolves, the reader watches his perception of his surroundings change, as well as his self-perception. For this reason, the point of view is very effective.

Setting

The novel is set mainly in Maryland, although Jeff's two meaningful visits to Melody and Gambo are set in South Carolina. The dichotomy between the North and the South is relevant, especially in the first half of the book. For Jeff, South Carolina is a land of beauty, light...