Omniscient Point of View

West's book is written in the third person with an omniscient narrator, a voice that not only is able to report what events are taking place but also what thoughts and feelings are going on inside each character.

West's omniscient narrator shifts the focus a number of times during the course of the novel. The novel begins with Tod; his background, thoughts, and actions are the primary focus of the story. Then, in chapter eight, the focus shifts to Homer. While Homer settles into his new house in Hollywood, he remembers his old life in Iowa and thinks about his hopes for a new life in California. The focus is on Homer until chapter thirteen, when it shifts back to Tod. The narrator's focus also shifts between characters within some of the chapters.

Short Chapters

Chapters form the structure of this novel, and their brevity...