Point of View

The novel is narrated in a close third person from three points of view: those of Anna Kerrigan, Eddie Kerrigan, and Dexter Styles, all of which are written in past tense. Egan writes from each point of view with flexible free indirect discourse, deftly gliding in and out of characters' minds -- sometimes within a scene. By choosing these characters' points of view, Egan presents them as the novel's three pillars. Each offers a perspective necessary to complete the novel's picture and fill out its scope. Anna provides the portal to the Brooklyn Naval Yard; Dexter brings readers into the "shadow world" of his criminal syndicate; Eddie's point of view takes us out to sea with the U.S. merchant marine. It is notable, however, that these characters are all fluid movers among worlds -- mirroring the way Egan seamlessly moves among their minds. Thus...