Point of View

A High Window is told recounted from the point of view of Philip Marlowe, the protagonist and narrator. It is narrated from the first person, meaning that only events and conversations where the narrator is present are depicted in the book. This is a suitable point of view for a mystery novel because the reader only learns things as the detective himself learns them, providing a driving force in the narrative that keeps the reader engaged and suspends the resolution of the mystery as long as possible.

The first person narrative also filters everything through the point of view of the main character, who in this case has definite opinions on almost everything. Marlowe is a working-class professional who works alone and is often called on to work for the wealthy socialites in the Los Angeles area. He has little use for these idle rich and...