Point of View

The first part of the book is told from the point of the view of the narrator. It seems to be an omniscient third person view, but the narrator also puts his own opinions in the book. He also hides things from the reader. Normally this omniscient view gives the reader the opportunity to know everything, but because the narrator is so enamored with Tchitchikov, he decides to hide his ill characteristics and only tell the reader about how much of a hero Tchitchikov is.

The story is for the most part told through the narrator's descriptions of the characters and their actions. While there is dialog, it seems to take a backseat to the narrator's voice. The reader, however, does get a glimpse of each character's thoughts because of the omniscient view. As Tchitchikov is conducting his deals to buy souls from different landowners, the...