Point of View

As the novel is an autobiography, the story is told entirely in first person, and is told from the author's point of view. This point of view is important, since the book is an explanation of the events of the author's life. As such, she knows only what she thinks and feels throughout the book, and she can only suggest the motivations of the other characters. This helps keep the narration focused on how the actions and events in the novel shape and form the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of the main character. Without the emotional aspects of Maya's own words, the impact of the scenarios presented would be less effective.

Much of the story is told through narrative, with some dialog interjected. One assumes the dialog is summarized, in that word for word conversations are not given. However, the areas where dialog is...