Point of View

Jason Reynolds wrote Long Way Down in Will’s first person point of view. This establishes a personalized tone and style. The overall concept of the novel is that Will is telling the reader the story of what happened to him, following his older brother’s Shawn’s death. This perspective allows the reader to see into Will’s mind as will shares his insights and observations. The reader also views Will’s actions, but they are limited to his point of view, which can cause confusion when Will is not sure what is happening.

The first person limited point of view allows for the readers to experience the disconnect Will feels between himself and the other people in the elevator. Will often wonders what these other people are thinking, but has no way of knowing. For example, when Dani enters the elevator on the...