Point of View

The novel is written in the third person and the past tense, and the narrative consistently adheres to the protagonist’s perspective. The reader has insight into the interiority of the protagonist, while neither the protagonist nor the reader have direct access to the internal thoughts of the other characters. The protagonist’s perspective is important not only in its conveyance of salient aspects of the town’s history, but the narrative also emphasizes the importance of specific shifts in the protagonist’s general outlook. His character arc is defined by an awakening to important matters of history and race, and his identity as an African-American seems to become increasingly important to him as he undergoes these changes in perspective.

The narrative emphasizes the overall importance of complete and informed historical perspectives. The goals and perspectives of the characters differ based on their personal backgrounds...