Point of View

The novel is narrated in the third person and the past tense. The story begins from Sharik the dog's point of view, and the initial scene begins with an extended internal monologue of Sharik's thoughts. These inner thoughts are the one place where the novel can be considered as being written in the first person. This helps the readers to see the dog as more than an animal to be overlooked or experimented on. We understand that the dog feels pain, longs for comfort and companionship, and experiences hunger and fatigue. This perspective of view also enhances the pathos of the story, helping us to feel empathy for the dog.

The story switches to a more omniscient point of view after the surgery that transplants Klim's pituitary gland and testicles into Sharik the dog's body. This perspective shift creates a wider focus, examining relationships between...