Structure

The novel centers almost exclusively on one person and one plot. While there are other characters in the novel, because they are given so little dialogue, they appear to exist mainly as inspiration for the narrator’s musings. Because the book is filled with the narrator’s thoughts and reflections, it resembles a personal diary more than a novel, making it all the more convincing as an actual account of a person’s life.

Perspective

The book’s point of view is first-person. The narrator is a fictitious character, not based on the author. No one, including the narrator, is given a name to give the impression that the characters are real people whose identities need to be protected. The narrator tells the story of his life from birth through approximately middle-aged when he is a father. It ends with his finally finding an identity and coming...