Point of View

The point of view of the novel is first person. This point of view is a very close first person of the protagonist Zuckerman. He is at first an observer, only reporting the things happening around him. Then as the book progresses, his point of view becomes one of an active participant. He answers back and interjects his opinion at times. He is a reliable narrator compared to the chaos going on around him, especially since the reader doubts what other characters say because their stories are too unreliable. Thus, this first person voice of Zuckerman proves to be authoritative and reliable.

The point of view wanders into Zuckerman's head from time to time. This usually occurs when he ponders over a difficulty, such as his exploration of Judaism or his fear of being arrested. A long inner monologue occurs on the trolley ride as he...