Defending Jacoby Analysis

A novel can be told from many different points of view, including the victim, criminal, or journalist. The most effective point of view is when it is told from both the victim and the criminal. The reader gets to see and understand from both perspectives, which not only makes the novel more interesting, but it makes the characters more reliable. The novel Intensity by Dean Koontz is told by switching back and forth between the criminal’s and victim’s perspective, while the novel, Defending Jacob by William Landay is told from only one perspective, which is the main character Andy, who is a lawyer and a victim. Having two points of view in one novel helps to give the reader multiple different perspectives and an overall better understanding of the book. Both of the novels were told from different views, but the way Intensity was portrayed with two views let the reader trust the characters more than they would while reading Defending Jacob. In the novel, Defending Jacob by William Landay, the reader can never be certain of many things. Jacob never admits and the reader is never told whether or not he actually

Chyna wants to stop Vess from hurting anyone else and she also wants to help the girl in his basement escape. The reader knows her intentions from the beginning of the book, but Edgler Vess does not. We hear the story from both sides which lets the reader determine what is the truth and if either character is lying. At one point Chyna stresses the fact that she will be “untouched and alive” from the “motorhome bedroom” (Koontz 171). She does not know that Vess knows that she is inside of his vehicle, but the reader does because of how it is told from two perspectives. Knowing Chyna’s side of the story makes the novel overall more reliable due to the fact that the reader can piece together the criminal and victim’s story together to know what is the