Point of View

Almost the entire novel is narrated by B. Rosenberg, in the first person and the past tense. The events of the narrative are therefore filtered through B.’s perspective, as he internally comments and passes judgment on everything he observes and experiences. B.’s narration often digresses to focus solely on his own in-depth thoughts and emotions regarding specific topics. Notably, even though B. is the narrator, the reader can find many flaws and paradoxes in B. personality and self-perception. For example, he believes himself to almost be above reproach in any social or intellectual regard. However, his thoughts and actions bespeak many profound personal flaws, including racism, sexism, and self-obsession. B.’s vanity blinds him to all ideas of self-improvement, and it also prevents him from forming/maintaining healthy relationships of any kind.

Although B. is the narrator, the novel is still able to...