Point of View

The point of view of the novel is third person, focusing primarily on Dr. Heywood Floyd as he journeys toward Jupiter, but often switching characters to share the thoughts of other astronauts or people on earth as unfolding events make necessary. Most important amongst these transitions include first and foremost the journey of David Bowman, who becomes an important viewpoint nearer to the close of the novel, and Dr. Chandra, who is extremely guarded and often misunderstood by the other characters. As the novel's setting spans a vast distance, this is entirely necessary in order to inform the reader of the events that are occurring at the same times throughout the solar system. The chapters generally take place in chronological order, but the reader is to be aware that over these great distances, light can take long periods of time to travel. Thus, transmissions sent from...