Point of View

The narrative is told entirely from the protagonist’s perspective, and the narration is written in the first persona and the past tense. The one exception is the prologue, the narration of which is written in the present tense, but still in the first person and from the protagonist’s perspective. This adherence to the protagonist’s perspective is crucial in that the narrative focuses heavily on the protagonist’s psychology and the changes therein. For example, the protagonist joins the army in the hope of cultivating discipline that will break him of his poor decision-making. However, not long into basic training, he develops a cynical attitude towards the army and views it as incompetent and absurd.

The significant shifts in the protagonist’s psychology continue after he arrives in Iraq, for the many traumatic experiences of his deployment cause lasting negative effects. The protagonist...