Points of View

The story is told from third person point of view, holding largely to the perspective of True Son but dipping at times into the minds of Del Hardy and Henry and Myra Butler. This gives the reader the benefit of seeing the situation of True Son's reunion with his family from both Indian and white perspectives, as well as from the perspective of family members versus a neutral outsider. The reader feels sympathy for True Son as the protagonist, but the story is balanced out by showing that he is not the only one with a stake in the events' unfolding.

Because the story is True Son's, the narrative stays close to him, relating most of the important action from his perspective. The novel traces his development from a defiant Indian youth who believes only what he has been brought up with is right to a...