Point of View

Most of the novel is told from Lev's perspective in the first person. This allows the reader to understand Lev's perspective in a broad variety of aspects. The reader sees his self-doubt, self-deprecating humor, timidity, pessimistic attitude, and morbidity. Lev describes his gloomy demeanor: "I was cursed with the pessimism of both the Russians and the Jews, two of the gloomiest tribes int hew world" (98). Sometimes, his thoughts are morbid: "Outside someone nailed posters to boarded windows with quick, efficient hammer strikes. Instead of picturing a man hanging posters, though, I imagined a coffin maker at work, fashioning a casket from planks of pinewood. The vision was intense and detailed" (98). He also vividly insults himself: “If a brilliant pig, the prodigy of the barnyard, spent his entire life learning Russian, and on finally becoming proficient the first words he heard were my own, he would...