Point of View

The novel’s primary narrative point of view is that of its protagonist, Fred Lemish. The majority of the story is told from his perspective, focusing on his experiences, feelings, and insights as he struggles to reconcile the seemingly contradictory sides of his nature. In essence, the two main contradiction, as the narrative suggests, is his craving for, and participation in, promiscuous sex; and his simultaneous craving for, and unsuccessful search for, an emotion-based relationship that he might be able to call love.

This central combination of exploit and motivation is echoed in the experiences of several other characters, including the unsophisticated Timmy, the sexually repressed Anthony, the neurotic Richard, and the sado-masochistic Irving, as well as many others. As such, it can be seen as manifesting what is ultimately the novel’s primary thematic point of view – that the search for connection with another...