Point of View

The point of view of the majority of this novel is first person and limited, as it is written in an epistolary style. This is proven, furthermore, by the fact that Jared can only convey what he witnesses and his own thoughts and feelings. It appears to be reliable, though this is questionable since Jared admits near the end of his journal that he writes with the hope of being read. The final portion of the novel, The Public Teachings, provides a transcription of B's public lectures. These are also written in first person, in the form of a monologue, and appear to be reliable.

The point of view is important to the novel as it provides a firsthand account of Jared's conversion to B's mode of thinking, which is increased in significance due to the fact that Jared is a priest until his newfound beliefs...