Point of View

Robbins's liberal use of different points of view allows him to mix several styles into one book, and sometimes even one page. The novel opens in the third person, with a narrator describing the action of the main characters. When the characters speak or think, however, the point of view changes to the first person, as many times the characters' conversations or thoughts go on for pages. At other times, the book turns into an essay on Robbins's political and philosophical beliefs, more or less talking directly to the reader in the second person.

Robbins cleverly uses the first person to provide background information essential to the story. When giving ancient history lessons, and there are many, Robbins uses conversations. The parallel history of Painted Stick/Conch Shell and the Middle East, for example, is told through Can o' Beans relaying the information to Silver Spoon...