Point of View

The story is written in third person from the limited perspective of Sam Childs. Sam is thirteen and is struggling with the changing world around him throughout the story. His efforts to understand what's going on and the deeper implications of the situation become important to the limited perspective. An example of this is seen as Sam is prepared for court by the attorneys for Bucky. The two men are making Sam aware of what he should expect when Leroy's wife arrives. She is carrying papers she says were gathered at "Roland's suggestion." When Sam discovers his father has been working on the case, he hints that his father might sabotage the case because it's being supported by the Black Panthers. Stick is immediately furious at Sam's short-sighted perspective and tells him that he simply doesn't understand. At this point in the story, Sam believes his...