Point of View

The story is written from several points of view, including first-person, third-person and omniscient. The first piece written about Ambrose is written in a first-person narrative and told as a reflection on the past. When Ambrose appears in later chapters, however, the narrator is separate from the character and is telling the story as if looking in on the boy. Twice the point of view is given from a non-human form, as in the sperm in “Night-Sea Journey” and the tape recording in “Autobiography,” and other times it is apparent John Barth is speaking directly to the audience.

Each point of view and suggested type of delivery (live voice, print reading, tape recording) add to the theme of the piece. Hearing an old story through Ambrose’s voice gives readers an idea of how the character perceives the events that shaped his life. Readers do...