In Walter Mosley's novel "Black Betty", the protagonist, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, acts as a filter through which the story
is told. The paper
shows that, utilizing the detective story genre to tell the story and construct the plot, Mosley uses Rawlins to examine moral, social and racial issues. Rawlins is not only the narrator; he offers commentary on a myriad of subjects ranging from poverty, to racism to personal
freedom. The paper shows that Rawlins is the central element in every chapter, indeed on every page, and the reader learns only what he does.