Point of View

The point of view of the novel is primarily the first-person perspective with parts of the third-person perspective. Patti Smith is telling her story, but when telling about Robert Mapplethorpe's childhood she writes in third person for she was not there to witness what happened. By switching from first person which limits the author to only what she has experienced to third person, it helps the reader get an understanding of Robert's life before he met Patti. The first person point of view is limited, but is essential to the story for it is the story of Patti Smith and her relationship with Robert. The reader gets to experience all the emotions that Patti experienced and react to other's actions without knowing what they are thinking or feeling. To understand her life, the reader has to see it through her eyes.

The story is told through...