Point of View

In The Last Samurai, DeWitt switches between the first-person perspectives of Sibylla and Ludo, thereby exploring—from multiple points of view—the nature and impact of genius, parenthood, and depression. In Parts I and II, Sibylla’s voice dominates the narrative. She describes the events leading up to Ludo’s birth, as well as her own anxious thoughts around her son’s genius. Ludo’s voice, often in the form of journal entries, gradually enters the narrative fray. DeWitt thus often exposes the reader to multiple perspectives on the same events. As he repeatedly rides the Circle Line with his mother, Ludo notes (several times) that “a lady got into an argument with Sibylla” (112).

Although Sibylla herself sometimes describes these exchanges, she refuses to refer to these moments as “argument[s].” In this way, DeWitt shows that a single event can contain numerous truths. Similarly...