Narration

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is narrated in a first person point of view with Peekay as the speaker. The story is about his childhood but is spoken when he is seemingly older, using more defined language of an adult and adding little thoughts and analytical notes about situations and ideas. This narration is therefore structured to be a stream of consciousness, putting after thoughts and rambling questions towards the reader that are going through his mind as he his speaking.  The books is written as an open door to Peekay’s mind many years later, helping us discover his thought and ideas, his deeps fears, sadness and feelings throughout the story. Though doing this Courtenay is appealing to the reader, helping the reader empathise and sympathise with Peekay as we see him through childhood as he develops from a naïve, innocent boy into an independent man. Through doing this we can feel as Peekay feels and think as he thinks, yearning to find out what is going to happen next.

The tone of Peekay is a developing character throughout the book. The narrator develops as the story develops even though the story is being told many years later. It is as if Peekay is going back to the time and being washed away in the events, his mind being that of a 5 year old again as he rediscovers his time as a child. This however is mixed with the tone of humour as he speaks of his naivety as he realises the things he didn’t understand back then and remembering what had happened and thing that people had said, knowing he had used this later in life. In the first chapters as he is still a young boy he sees he naïve understanding and is not critical, however as he is developing in the book, events are described more critically and at a distance as if he is not ready to relive it. His tone changes from sympathetic to distant and unforgiving, not humouring the reader as he tells of the tragedy of growing up and developing into a man.