Point of View

Nostromo is told as a third person omniscient narrative. Scenes are crafted through the perspectives of various characters, and often the same scene is replayed through the different points of view. This allows the reader to get multiple perspectives on an event. Seeing the same event from different class perspectives reinforces the thematic message of the novel. The working class perspective of Giorgio contrasts with the perspective of the town leader, Charles Gould. By giving the reader both sides, the narrator allows the reader to develop a personal interpretation of how the characters relate to each other. No character or class perspective dominates the narrative, giving the reader a complete picture that reflects the interlocking class structure of the characters.

In some ways, this narrative voice resembles an historian or travel guide for Central America. The narrator often concentrates on physical features of the landscape as...