Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the mode of limited third-person. (The one exception is Chapter 7 which Franklin narrates in the first person.) In other words, the novel’s narration is written in the third person, and it always adheres to one character’s perspective at any given time. Mostly, each chapter only features one character perspective, but some of them feature multiple perspectives. The novel’s point-of-view characters are Hattie, Floyd, Six, August, Pearl, Alice, Franklin, Bell, Cassie, and Sala. Although each point of view is distinguished by the characters’ respective personalities and experiences, there are some connecting dynamics, such as the fact that these characters are all African-American and thus experience racial oppression, albeit in varying degrees/forms.

By showcasing multiple perspectives, the novel seeks to explore intersecting facets of social dynamics such as familial dysfunction and personal hardship. The novel often...