Point of View

The Moor’s Account is told from the first person perspective of the main character, Mustafa. Mustafa narrates the book as though he were writing his memoir, which he reveals at the end of the book he wants to do because his journey has helped him recognize how important storytelling is. He wants his son to have something to read, but he also wants to create an accurate account of what happened on the expedition. Every so often, Mustafa will interject a comment from the present into the story, directly addressing the reader to either justify an action or explain why a time skip was taking place.

Language and Meaning

While written in English, the book uses a great deal of Spanish words along with Native American and Moroccan titles. Mustafa makes frequent references to Muslim phrases as well. Mustafa will rarely translate the phrases...