Point of View

The Last White Man is narrated from the third person omniscient perspective, meaning the reader is given access to the thoughts and feelings of each of the main characters — Anders, his father, Oona, and her mother. The exploration of these characters' feelings provides commentary on race and racism that adds depth to the allegory of the novel. The world of the book is meant to reflect the real world, where people have complex, and sometimes hateful views about race. This is perhaps most evident in Oona's mother's belief system, but other characters also exhibit racism. When Anders awakens and discovers he is no longer white in Chapter 1, he becomes furious while looking in the mirror: “He wanted to kill the colored man who confronted him here in his home” (5). Anders is angry because he has racist beliefs about people of color, and because he knows...