Point of View

At first glance, the book’s narrative point of view seems to shift several times, and in several ways. For example, while much of the story’s focus is on the experiences of protagonist Gbessa, there are several chapters that focus on the experiences of the two similarly gifted young men, June Dey and Norman Aragon, who become her allies, her friends, and at the book’s climax, her fellow warriors. There are also what seem to be shifts in narrative voice, as the story seems to move back and forth between third person and first-person. As the narrative progresses, however, the shifts in focus and in point of view are ultimately revealed to be facets of the same story told by one voice. That voice is defined by the mysterious, poetically evocative words and perspectives of a character initially introduced as the slave Charlotte...