Point of View

The novel is written in the past tense and the limited third person. The two point-of-view characters are Barney Mayerson and Leo Bulero. Thus, the reader has direct access to the experiences, thoughts, and interiorities of Barney and Leo, but the reader can only glean the interiorities of the other characters through their words and actions. The one exception to this is in Chapter 3, when the narrative shifts to Sam Regan’s perspective in order to describe the episode involving Sam, Fran, and the Can-D. However, Barney and Leo provide the main entrances for the reader into the narrative, and thus the dramatic tension is built upon Barney and Leo’s tribulations, experiences, and discoveries.

On the other hand, the novel often challenges traditional ideas of perspective, experience, and perception. This thematic tension is common in Philip K. Dick’s works, as he often gives...