Point of View

The novel utilizes third-person narration that is limited to Zuckerman’s point of view. This creates a bifurcation between Zuckerman’s perspective and the overall narrative, which allows the reader to inhabit Zuckerman’s viewpoint while also acknowledging the tragedy of Zuckerman’s predicaments and his misguided reactions to those hardships. Because so much of the novel concerns Zuckerman’s reflexive attempts to avoid his personal problems, the degree of separation afforded by third-person narration allows the reader to see the disconnect between Zuckerman’s circumstances and his actions. The reader can see that Zuckerman is still very much in grief for his mother’s death and that he feels isolated from the world around him. Therefore, the reader can also see the irrationality of Zuckerman’s decision to avoid these problems by blaming them on his profession and deciding that his life would be...