What do you think of the point of view and diction Tommy Orange uses for this chapter? Why does he use this style? is it appealing to you? why or why not?
Part I is a powerful introduction to key elements of the structure, plot, and literary elements of There There. First, it introduces readers to a key formal feature of the novel: the story is told through a multitude of characters’ voices. In Part I, each section is an introduction to a central character of the novel. These are disparate sections, without direct links to each other and told in different ways. For example, Edwin, Tony, and Opal's sections are written in the first person, placing us directly inside the experience of their battles with self-image, hope, anger, and loss. Dene’s, on the other hand, is written in the third person, giving readers an outside view. Thus Orange writes many distinct voices into existence, creating a diverse community of characters that disrupts the stereotype of Native life as monolithic.
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