Point of View

The novel is written from the third person point of view. The author uses Rubashov as his main character through the majority of the novel. The author tells the majority of the story with Rubashov’s internal monologue, showing his mental struggles as he attempts to accept his fate.

The point of view works well because it allows the writer to use internal monologue and self-inspection to weave his own political ideas through the thread of the plot. The point of view also allows the author to use other characters briefly as narrators in order to show a side to the plot of which Rubashov has no knowledge. In this way, the author is able to tell a well-rounded story.

Language and Meaning

The novel was originally written in German, but it was translated into English before being published. The language is a sophisticated English...