Point of View

The point of view in the novel is first person limited. The narrator reports what other characters do, but he cannot see into their minds and hearts. The first person point of view is important to the story's theme of man vs. society. The reader needs to be able to relate to the narrator in order to feel the oppression and injustices the narrator feels as he makes his way in an unsympathetic world.

Although the readers don't get a firsthand view of the minor characters, we understand a great deal about them by the way the narrator relates and reacts to them. He is very comfortable with some characters and less comfortable with others. With some he discusses intellectual matters and with others he shares bread.

Setting

There are two main settings in the story: Paris and London. In both great cities, the narrator experiences...