Point of View

Malerman uses closely focused third person to tell the tale of Malorie in "Bird Box." He uses the third person pronoun she when referring to Malorie, but he focuses almost exclusively upon her and even gives Malorie's internal thoughts. From the novel's first chapter, Malorie is the reader's first point of contact and it is her perspective that informs the reader's perception of events.

The close third person that Malerman employs is typical of many fictional tales and functions in much the same way as other novels of the same point of view operate. Malorie's fears, hopes, and thoughts both inform and skew the way that actions are presented to the reader. Rather than an omniscient third person perspective, Malerman limits the reader to Malorie in order to force an attachment between reader and character. He also employs this enforced claustrophobia of perspective in order...