Point of View

Vonnegut's novel is told in the first person from the point of view of Leon Trout. However, Leon Trout is a ghost, and as a ghost he has the talent of omniscience. Trout can look into other characters' minds and tell their stories. In this way, Vonnegut has created a highly unusual narrative style: a first-person omniscient narrator who can provide the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters.

The first-person narrator is not a part of the main story. Instead, he is an onlooker. However, he brings an individual opinion to the story because he has seen humans evolve over a million years. He believes that all the problems of humanity are caused by their maladaptive big brains, which separate humans from animals.

The omniscience of the narrator, who has been around for a million years, also allows him to jump back and forth...