Point of View

Cormac McCarthy writes from an omnipotent view that is able to "see" through the eyes of each of his characters. The reader not only follows Suttree, but is able to see into his mind and "hear" the bits and pieces of thoughts, ideas, memories, and intentions. Of all the characters in the novel, Suttree's is the only mind one is able to read. All others are readable through their actions and dialogues. However, Suttree's mind is an abyss in which McCarthy swims, and the reader is carried along this current, only looking outward as necessary to form the plot of the story. The narrator's point of view is reliable to the extent that he reads Suttree's state of mind at any given moment, but that is not to say that Suttree's perceptions are reliable. McCarthy does a remarkable job of showing us—not telling us...