Point of View

The novel is narrated from the first person subjective point of view; that is, from the perspective of its central character, the protagonist, Robert Jones. On a purely technical level, the apparent intention of this point of view is to place the reader firmly within the experience of this particular black man, in his frustrating, pervasive encounters with the racist attitudes and behaviors that he fervently believes define his life both internally and externally.

This, in turn, leads to another level of meaning inherent in this particular point of view. Robert Jones sees himself as a victim, trapped on several levels and in several ways within a system of racism founded on and fueled by hatred and fear. In other words, by using the first person subjective point of view, the author seems to clearly intend that the reader awaken to a sense of identification with...