▁political ▁intent . ▁ ▁The ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁set ▁during ▁Ber k man ' s ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁Writ ten ▁in ▁first - person , ▁present - ten se ▁English ▁( a ▁language ▁that ▁was ▁new ▁to ▁Ber k man ), ▁it ▁reads ▁like ▁a ▁di ary , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁written ▁after ▁Ber k man ' s ▁release . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁coming - of - age ▁story ▁that ▁tracks ▁Ber k man ' s ▁difficult ▁loss ▁of ▁his ▁youth ful ▁sentiment al ▁ideal ism ▁as ▁he ▁strugg les ▁with ▁the ▁physical ▁and ▁psych ological ▁conditions ▁of ▁prison ▁life , ▁at ▁times ▁bringing ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁suic ide . ▁ ▁As ▁he ▁gets ▁to ▁know ▁the ▁other ▁prisoners , ▁he ▁has ▁nothing ▁but ▁dis d ain ▁and ▁dis g ust ▁for ▁them ▁as ▁people , ▁though ▁he ▁sees ▁them ▁as ▁vict ims ▁of ▁an ▁un just ▁system . ▁" They ▁are ▁not ▁of ▁my ▁world ", ▁he ▁writes . ▁" I ▁would ▁aid ▁them ", ▁he ▁says , ▁being ▁" d ut y ▁bound ▁to ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁social ▁in just ice . ▁But ▁I ▁cannot ▁be ▁friends ▁with ▁them ▁... ▁they ▁touch ▁no ▁ch ord ▁in ▁my ▁heart ." ▁Grad ually , ▁though , ▁Ber k man ' s ▁self - im posed ▁distance ▁and ▁moral ▁high ▁ground ▁begins ▁to ▁cr umble ▁as ▁he ▁comes ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁fla wed ▁human ity ▁in ▁everyone , ▁including ▁himself . ▁ ▁The ▁Pr ison