Joy Glaze, Comment 1

I disagree with Jack’s point that Henry Burton portrays Stanton as a man of great character. Burton does not give a biased narrative which describes Stanton as “true and honest.” Burton gives the facts of Stanton’s character, revealing his flaws as well as his gifts.

I agree with Michael that Burton’s race plays a significant part in his role as narrator. I do not believe this significance comes from his simply being different from the other characters. Burton is not purely black; he is of mixed race. This mixture allows him to relate to both black and white characters in the story, creating an advantage which deepens the narrative.