Point of View

Although the sole perspective given in the novel is technically that of Philip, Philip’s role as a narrator given retrospection to the events of the novel allows a certain degree of flexibility in the simulation of multiple perspectives. In other words, although the story is technically told only from Philip’s point of view, the narrative succeeds in giving insights into the perspectives of other characters as well. Although Philip is very much a full and complex character in his own right, Philip as narrator gives much attention to the conflicting ideas, beliefs, and attitudes that exist between the people around him. The familial tension that grows between the Roths is made richer and more detailed by the internal insights that their well-observed behavior affords.

The novel also bends its first-person perspective into a simulation of an omniscient third-person perspective when necessary, specifically when...