Point of View

For the most part, the narrative unfolds from the third-person limited point of view from the perspective of protagonist Mitchell Zukor. This means that the reader follows the events of the story as Mitchell experiences them, and gets to know the other characters in the way and at the same time as Mitchell does. This also means that the reader comes to understand the book’s themes primarily through Mitchell’s actions: its consideration of aspects of fear, risk, and obsession are all developed mostly through the narrative’s description of what Mitchell does, his considerations of why, and his contemplations of what other characters do, and why. There are instances in which the actions of other characters clearly communicate thematic elements without narration of Mitchell’s thoughts defining them further. The actions of Jane and Charnoble, for example, clearly evoke the book’s thematic...