Point of View

The novel, V., is primarily told from a third person point of view. However, the narration frequently shifts to follow different characters throughout the entire novel, as well as traveling through different time periods. The narration also bounces back from limited to omniscient, sometimes revealing characters' inner thoughts and feelings and sometimes not. Furthermore, sometimes the the main subject or plot is told through the eyes of characters far removed from the main storyline. For example, the third chapter, in which Stencil, a quick-change artist, does eight impersonations, follows the incarnation of V. as Victoria Wren through the eyes of servants, barmaids, and workers. It does not follow any of the main players in the overarching plot. Pynchon purposely plays with perspective to show how stories are seen differently through different sets of eyes. In other instances, the narrator will directly address the reader, such as...