Prejudice

By writing the novel from the first person point of view of Oliver Harding, a middle-aged white man, the author is able to access and expose American culture’s deeply embedded prejudices and bigotry. Indeed, Oliver’s first person narration acts as the narrative and formal soil for the author’s explorations concerning racism and bias. Although Oliver is determined to prove himself both innocent and noble, his first person account is his attempt to spill his “thoughts in ink” and to “reveal the workings” of his heart and mind (1). Because he is guilty of killing Ruhaba and pinning the murder on Adil, he feels compelled to confess in writing. In doing so, Oliver simultaneously admits to a litany of his other internal misconceptions, prejudices, and slights against others.

The ways in which Oliver privately regards both his colleague Ruhaba and her nephew Adil is revealing...