Rainbow Rowell's Carry On

Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On has switches in point of view from chapter to chapter, giving the reader a greater insight as to the thoughts and emotions of each character. These changes allow for Rowell to greater develop her characters, the shifts between the chapters giving depth and piquing the reader’s interest. Had she chosen to stick with one point of view, Rowell would have limited the insight the readers have. By choosing to have shifts in the point of view in the chapters, Rowell gives most of the characters the ability to voice their own thoughts and opinions, showing the reader how they act and how they perceive different events. This shift also enables Rowell to give instances of foreshadowing, by writing in chapters from Lucy’s perspective, the reader is encouraged to keep reading to discover this mystery character, and as more plot points are revealed, the reader is able to infer as to who she is, but the specifics are yet to be revealed. This keeps the reader interested and engaged, encouraging them to continue reading.

Simon Snow, the protagonist of Rowell’s story, finds his so-called destiny as the “Chosen One” to be problematic for him and others. His magical abilities may be great, but harnessing them is extremely difficult, and with the Insidious Humdrum after him and hurting his friends, Snow wishes to escape his predestined life. While he understands he must fight against the Humdrum, Snow often doubts himself and is drawn towards other things, such as obsessing over his suspicions that his roommate, Baz, is a vampire, or his friendship with Penelope. Later in the novel, it is revealed to Simon that the Humdrum is “just what’s left when [Simon’s] done,”, provoking the struggle that he must fight through in order to avoid this gruesome