Point of View

The point of view in Silkworm is omniscient, but the author concentrates on viewing events from the perspectives of only two characters: chiefly the private detective Cormoran Strike, whose thoughts and feelings are presented, and, to a lesser extent, Robin Ellacott. The reader learns what most of the characters are like through Strike's perception of them, but also from what they say, how they appear, and what other characters say about them. Cormoran Strike, the protagonist, is the most fully depicted character because the reader wants to follow the detective's process of investigation and ratiocination. Strike is also the moral center of the novel. Robin plays the role of the detective's sidekick who is still something of a greenhorn, but is eager to learn. She represents the central female figure who, in contrast to Charlotte and Liz Tassel, represents a strong, independent, and dependable viewpoint...