Point of View

This novel is written from the first-person point of view. However, it is not written from the first-person point of view of just one person. Its unique style as a collection of letters allows the novel to be written from the unique point of view of each letter writer. From the head eunuch, the reader learns about the duties of a eunuch who is in charge of large seraglio and the trials that this servant faces. A black slave shares his terror that he will be forced to have surgery that will make him a respected eunuch, but will also cause him to lose his interest in sex. Usbek's wives share their misery and lack of understanding when Usbek leaves for his European trip. These same wives also later share their displeasure when Usbek commands the eunuch take charge of the seraglio and punish those deserving...