Point of View

The point of view is first person, with Theo telling his story as if he is writing to someone, as indeed, he admits to doing in his last chapter, to his mother. The reader catches glimpses of a stream of consciousness element used throughout, where one can really get inside the head and emotions of the main character. The reader sees through the eyes of Theo his surroundings, thinks through the brain of Theo his thoughts, whether under the influence of drugs and alcohol or not, and the reader feels through Theo's heart his feelings. Since one of the main themes of the novel is Theo's coming-of-age journey, this first-person stream-of-consciousness point of view fosters the best understanding of the main character's growth from a grief-stricken thirteen-year-old to a well-adjusted man.

Theo's story includes dialogue, which he documents as he goes through his life in...