It is my intention to analyze and evaluate Dickens' use of limited viewpoint in the character of Arthur Clennam, not completely since Little Dorrit is a very long novel, but in enough detail to indicate his importance in the structure of the novel. I plan to show, first, that the unity of his consciousness is a key factor in the organizing principle governing plot structure; secondly, that as the various plots progress, and as Arthur becomes more or less personally involved, Dickens shifts the voice structure from subjective to objective methods of pres­entation, sometimes with more subtlety than he generally is given credit for; thirdly, that other characters, such as Amy Dorrit and Daniel Doyce, complement Clennam's role as observer and balance his subjectivity.
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