Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the first person and the past tense. The entire novel is written from Milo’s perspective, as he is the sole narrator. The limitations of Milo’s perspective are highly relevant to the novel’s overall thematic explorations, as Milo consistently struggles to make sense of the things that he can and cannot control in his life. Milo is generally disappointment with the trajectory of his life in the years following his graduation from college. Milo cannot seem to determine how much of failure is determined by uncontrollable external factors and how much by personal, internal factors. These limitations surrounding Milo’s viewpoint thereby effectively simulate a universal sense of uncertainty regarding the true effectiveness of personal agency.

Despite the narrative’s strict adherence to Milo’s perspective, the stark contrasts between characters compel both Milo and the...