Point of View

The point of view of the novel is that of third-person narrative, with an emphasis on the viewpoints and feelings of a young black worker, Jake. There is an all seeing narrator who can speak about the internal condition and thoughts of all the characters. In between this overall scheme there are also sections of first person point of view. For example, Ray describes in the chapter "He Also Loved" his own experience meeting the couple Jerco and Rosalind. Jake is the protagonist in the novel, and the novel is upbeat when things are going well for him, and down when they are not. Ray is the voice of the black intellectual who is often an oppressed person, but at least has an idea why he is oppressed. Ray is trying to discover theories and find ideas to change the situation and better the lot of...