Point of View

The Diamond Age uses the third person throughout the novel, with each chapter alternating in putting the focus on a single character. This continual change of focus gives the novel a unique multi-faceted point of view. The author develops the storyline over a relatively linear timeline, as the chapters overlap each other in constructing the events over a linear timeline.

Most situations depicted in The Diamond Age are metaphorical transpositions of past or current conflicts and divisions in the world of computers and software. For instance, the rebels of CryptNet are set to implement what they call the "Seed", a free and public source of molecules, which serves as an alternative to the Feed that can be used by compilers to generate goods for everyone. The wealthier tribes, such as the Ashantis and the Victorians, are opposed to this democratization, in part because they own the...