Point of View

"The Knife of Never Letting Go" is told from the first person perspective of the main character, Todd. Todd is telling the story directly to the reader as it happens. He frequently makes little comments directed at the reader. For example, whenever he’s feeling particularly emotional he’ll usually make a remark to the reader, essentially telling them not to judge him for his moment of weakness. This is especially apparent in the earlier parts of the book, when Todd is obsessed with maintaining a manly image.

Language and Meaning

Because the story is being narrated directly to Todd there’s a very unique language. Todd comes from Prentisstown, which shunned a formal education. As a result, the story is filled with misspelled words. Todd relies on his phonetic pronunciation, so words like "creature," "conditions," and "cemetery" are frequently misspelled. Todd will occasionally use...