Point of View

The novel is told entirely in the first person, with Tom narrating his own story as he travels across the country. This choice of point of view places the reader inside Tom’s perspective and limits the narrative to what he observes, remembers, and chooses to describe. In theory, a first-person narration offers the potential for a close and revealing portrait of a character’s inner life. Because Tom is recounting events himself, the reader has direct access to his thoughts and reflections as the journey unfolds. In practice, however, the narrative voice is shaped by Tom’s tendency toward avoidance, both in his behaviour and in his thinking. Although the reader spends the entire novel inside Tom’s perspective, his narration often circles around the issues that matter most without confronting them directly. He reflects on memories, casual encounters, and speculative ideas about the...