Point of View

The novel is narrated by the protagonist, Riggle Quick, in the first person and the past tense. As a result, all of the scenes and narration are filtered through Riggle’s perspective. Thus, while the reader gains direct insights into Riggle’s thoughts and feelings, the reader can only judge other characters via Riggle’s observations of them. Riggle is 17 years old, and thus his perspective is shaped in many ways by the inexperience of youth. However, Riggle is a curious and alert person, and throughout the novel, he attempts to derive meaning and personal growth from all of his experiences. As such, Riggle’s character arc may be viewed, at least in part, as a type of coming-of-age story.

Despite the fact that the narrative is confined to Riggle’s perspective, the clashed between character viewpoints are important to various thematic conceptions of the...