Sphere

The novel’s protagonist, Norman Johnson’s point of view is the only perspective the novel provides; therefore, the narration is occasionally unreliable because Norman is limited by the things he has personally seen and understands. Norman is an educated person who has devoted his career to the study of psychology and human behavior. In placing Norman on a team of highly educated, extremely focused individuals, the story places Norman in a potentially intimidating situation. Although he’s just as educated as his fellow scientists, his area of expertise is more subjective, allowing the others to sometimes consider him less important to the mission. The others on the team often reject Norman’s opinion, such as during the first conversation with Jerry, when Norman points out Jerry’s humanlike emotional expressions. Ted rejects Norman’s opinion outright, accusing him of seeing something that isn’t there or that’s irrelevant to the moment’s overall importance. Later, Beth accuses Norman of projecting a psychological aspect onto the situation in order to feel important and useful. These moments undermine Norman’s self-confidence and cause him to question his understanding of the events unfolding around him.