Point of View

The point of view of the novel is first person. This point of view is a very close first person. It is unreliable, since the narrator uses heroin throughout the book and some chapters read as though he is in a dreamlike haze. The narrator tells of his emotions, but also observes the emotions of the other characters around him, especially those of his girlfriend then wife Candy. The point of view is essential to the novel because it shows the cyclical nature of him as a human being struggling with drug use. He often repeats the same types of emotions and observations, yet in different ways. This first person point of view helps with dramatic impact because the reader observes the repetition and finally sees his growth at the very end of the book. However, the whole time the reader is not sure the narrator...