Claude Brown's Purpose in Writing this Book

One never knows another person's purpose for writing a book, especially an autobiography, but it seems Claude may have had three purposes: (1) to tell his life story for others' entertainment (it is very interesting, and sometimes funny); (2) to show the Harlem lifestyle of young African-Americans, and how hard it is to escape Harlem and make something of oneself; and (3), to make sense of his experiences in his own mind. Claude probably hoped to make money too (who wouldn't?) but I doubt that was his main purpose. I think his main overall purpose was to describe and critique the life he had led growing up in Harlem.

Point-of-View: First Person

Since this is Claude's life story, even if it is a fictionalized account, it is only natural that he choose a first person ("I, Claude") point-of-view. Everything happens to him or around him, and we see everything through Claude's eyes I think first person viewpoint ("I") is therefore the best point-of-view for this book. The viewpoint makes Claude's thoughts more immediate and accessible to readers, and also to show Claude's intelligence, sense of humor, personality, and sometimes his cynicism.

Structure

The structure is both...

There are also "stories within stories," lots of them. Mainly, he cuts back and forth in space and time, first between home and the streets (early in the book) and later between Harlem and reform schools (later in the book). Sometimes it is even more intricate structurally: home vs. streets vs. school vs. jail, cutting back and forth between three or four places. The book is definitely not chronological, though it does start when Claude is very young and end when he is grown. I think the "either/or" narrative structure (home or the streets; inside or outside Harlem, etc.) creates suspense and tension, and interest in what will happen next. It also lays the groundwork for the culmination of his experiences and decision to leave Harlem.
Style

The style of the book is a combination of exposition, description, narration, and dialogue. Mostly is written in standard American English,