Point of View

The author tells Machines Like Me from the first person point of view of Charlie Friend, a 33-year-old man living in London. Charlie's perspective works to create a complex, witty, emotionally-charged narrative. Because Charlie is markedly self-involved, driven by often absurd fantasies and imaginings, the narrative often vacillates between his wild mind and the events of the narrative present. This movement back and forth between Charlie's mental processing and his lived experience allows the reader to align herself with the complexity of his circumstances and world.

Much of Charlie's voice is categorized by his moral deliberations, his tendency towards self-loathing and simultaneous self-obsession. After he buys Adam using his inheritance money, Charlie finds himself consumed by a wealth of ethical concerns which he previously did not consider. Adam's presence in his home and life, as well as Charlie's love affair with Miranda, grants Charlie's vantage...