Sometimes a Great Notion Style

Sometimes a Great Notion Style

Point of View

This novel's exploration and/or utilization of various points of view is easily its most notable and narratively engaging characteristic, more so than its characters, story or themes. The constantly shifting and re-aligning of various tenses, between first and third person and between past and present tense (not to mention the generally more omniscient, objective perspective of each chapter's prologue) functions on several levels. The first is to stylistically reinforce the previously discussed central thematic point relating to the relationship between truth and interpretation, as the shifting perspectives create the clear sense that there is in fact NO truth, only individual perspective. The second level of function of this stylistic choice functions on a more pragmatic level, simply to draw the reader in. S/he is constantly placed in the position of reading carefully, of having to constantly be aware of which perspective is being explored at which point in the narrative...
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