Point of View Amplifies Theme in Zadie Smith’s “Crazy They Call Me”
Candace Walsh analyzes Zadie Smith’s short story “Crazy They Call Me,” which uses the unconventional second-person singular point of view to portray Billie Holiday reflecting on her life. The central argument is that Smith’s choice of POV is more than a stylistic experiment—it deepens the emotional impact and amplifies the story’s core theme. Walsh illustrates how Smith’s use of second-person in “Crazy They Call Me” is essential to the story’s exploration of identity, memory, and performance. It captures Billie Holiday’s internal conflict: the tension between who she was, who she is, and the persona she must maintain to survive.