Point of View

Jonathan Lethem tells his novel Dissident Gardens from the third-person omniscient perspective from the point of view of an unnamed narrator. The narrator speaks with a God’s-eye view of all people, places, and times in the novel, stitching together a plot that spans more than half-a-century. The narrator thus acts as a common unifying voice, drawing together different, distinct lives, places, events, and personal stories that are bound together with their having Rose in common. This allows the reader in turn to have unrestricted views and understanding of each character and the situations in which they find themselves. This allows for great dimensionality with the lives of the characters, making them complex and very much human in their endeavors. This is especially true of Rose who, though cold, is by no means inhuman. Readers learn the inner thoughts and feelings she has, even when...