Point of View

Throughout the book, the author utilizes a third person limited point of view with some unique and creative approaches. Within the third person framework, Davidson is able to provide the points of view of the two protagonists – C.P. Ellis and Ann Water – and also document a rich historical account of the City of Durham. It becomes clear that for Davidson the historical context behind the story of C.P. and Ann is just as important as the overall narrative of two enemies going through a process of transformation and becoming friends. One could ask the question: Did Davidson use these two characters to tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement or did he use the Civil Rights Movement to tell the story of the two characters? No matter the answer, it is clear that the historical context and the storyline are brilliantly interwoven...