Points of View

An unnamed narrator tells the book from the first person point of view. As such, the reader sees only those things that the narrator finds of interest, and every event is colored by the narrator's perspective. Zorba is admirable because the narrator finds him so. Thankfully, this speaker is keenly observant and skilled at describing the world around him. What is curious, though, is that while he can describe Zorba's emotion with acute precision, the narrator rarely relates his own feelings. His thoughts, yes; there are plenty of meditations on Buddha and the Void, but very rarely does the narrator convey his emotions in any real depth. Occasionally he is "happy" (or he observes that he is happy), and sometimes he believes he should be angry with Zorba, but he never gives himself the same attention he bestows on his subjects. This is particularly noteworthy when...