Point of View

The novel is written in the past tense, and it uses a mixture of first-person and second-person narration. There are several point-of-view characters, including Rye, Gig, Flynn, Ursula, Dalveaux, Jules, Gemma, Waterbury, and Sullivan. Arguably, Rye is the protagonist, as all of the other characters’ storylines have direct connections to Rye. Also, a plurality of the novel is written from a close third-person point of view within Rye’s perspective. Rye’s particular perspective is defined by his own general morality and humbleness, and in this way, Rye functions as a primary moral center of the overall narrative. Flynn is the other major moral center, and arguably the only one that never strays at all.

The novel’s structure functions to draw connections between personal experiences and sociopolitical dynamics. The sociopolitical dynamics include subjects such as labor organizing, class oppression, police oppression, judicial abuse, economic...