Point of View

Because Neal is the narrator, the story is filtered entirely through his perspective. The story is written in the first person and the past tense as Neal recalls events from his life. This focus on Neal’s perspective is fitting in that it emphasizes the sense of solipsism and loneliness that he experienced while he was alive. As the narrative makes clear, Neal was highly perceptive about other people, but he lacked an ability to truly care for other people. Neal’s perspective is thusly presented in a similar fashion, showcasing Neal’s perceptive and detailed observations about himself and others, which tragically clashed with an apparent inability to feel a sense of love and comfort, only fear and anxiety.

It is important to note, however, that there is a type of inherent bifurcation present in Neal’s perspective, because Neal is narrating the story...