Point of View

The short story is written from Sweetness's first person point of view. By writing the story from this intimate narrative perspective, the author is able to fully inhabit and excavate the depths of Sweetness's distinct consciousness. Indeed, the entirety of the narrative is propelled by Sweetness's voice, and her complex relationship with the past. The story opens with the lines: "It's not my fault. So you can't blame me" (1). Though the reader later learns that Sweetness is living alone in a cheap, urban nursing home, Sweetness addresses her narrative to a perceived listener. As in the story's opening lines, Sweetness breaks the fourth wall throughout the narrative, addressing the reader as if she is sitting in her room at the Winston House with her. Later, in the latter half of the first page, Sweetness asks the reader: "Can you imagine how many white folks have...