Point of View

The point of view used in The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr is third person omniscient. This point of view works well throughout the book since there are several components and underlying factors that would not be revealed otherwise. The story itself is rather complex and only third person omniscient would allow the reader to follow and understand the activities of all of the characters as well as the dangerous and deadly events of the Civil War, and the complicated relationships between the soldiers, officers, and civilians. It also allows for the reader to follow and understand actions and thoughts of other characters in the book as well as those events of which one single character has no knowledge.

The main characters, Bushrod Carter, Jack Bishop, Nebo Gloster, Anna Hereford, and Virgil C. Johnson, each have their own unique perspectives...