Point of View

The point of view of the novel is third person omniscient. The main part of the story is seen through the eyes of the main character, Philip Carey. A great deal of the narration is seen through Philip's eyes and is colored by his thoughts and emotions. However, at times the point of view shifts to other characters, such as Philip's uncle, showing the scene from the emotional point of view of that character. Often the switch in point of view happens in the middle of a scene, slipping from one character's mind to another's without any warning.

The point of view in this novel is often difficult to follow. When the narration moves from one character's mind to another there is often little warning, causing the reader to stop and figure out which character is talking in order to keep from becoming confused. However, when...