Written in a conversational style, its many characters and fragmented settings make this a difficult book, but once into it, the "The Known World" gives us a glimpse into the world of black slave owners and their slaves. Although the only truly evil characters are white people, the blacks are not all good but have the same problems and failings that plague all of humanity. Moses could be called the protagonist since the book begins and ends with him, but his story is only one of many told within the confines of this community. The book is aptly named since it portrays within a small area what was known of the world at that time.