Apollo

“Apollo” is told from a first-person point of view, and the narrator is also a character in the story—the protagonist, Okenwa. In first-person point of view, the reader has access only to the knowledge and perceptions of the viewpoint character; all the events of the story are filtered through Okenwa. Because of this, it’s important to remember that everything Okenwa says is colored by his personal biases, misunderstandings, and flawed perceptions. Though Okenwa is not a blatantly unreliable narrator, the story leaves open the possibility that some of his perceptions are skewed or prejudiced. In particular, he fails to realize that his romantic feelings for Raphael are not reciprocated. Because he feels such an intense connection to Raphael, readers are led to believe that Raphael feels it as well, especially during the scenes in Raphael’s room when Okenwa is administering his eye drops. The story’s conclusion reveals that readers, like Okenwa, have misread Raphael’s feelings and that Okenwa’s crush is not reciprocated. The story’s point of view thus contributes to its exploration of Perception, Transformation, and Loss of Innocence.