Perspective

All the Presidents Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward tells the story of the Watergate affair as a third person subjective narrative. The subjective narrative alternates between Bernstein's perspective and Woodward's perspective, even within one page.

With the third person overview, the reader sees events as they unfold. Like the reporters, the readers have to unravel information from the informants to determine where the investigative story is going to go next. If the reader knows their history, they understand the full ramifications of the event and the story. However, this is never alluded to throughout the book. In fact, it takes a long while for the reporters to understand how deeply the scandal infiltrates the White House. This adds to the sense of betrayal felt not only by those who worked in the White House, but also by the reporters and the rest of the nation.

Tone