Point of View

There are two key elements of point of view to consider about Portnoy's Complaint. The first is essentially technical, relating to narrative viewpoint. The novel is written in first person subjective, sometimes in present tense (when the author relives a particularly vivid or important memory, or when he refers to his current situation) and sometimes in past tense (when his memories are simply recalled or narrated). An important aspect of this point of view is its stream-of-consciousness sensibility—the narrative gives the very clear sense that the narrator's mind is moving almost randomly from thought to memory back to thought back to memory and suddenly to insight. This chain reaction of idea, recalled sensations and spewed surges of emotion simultaneously intrigues the reader and creates a vivid portrait of an individual with a powerful, questioning mind.

The second key element of point of view to...