Narrative Point of View

ENG 255 Narrative Point of View

Think of the narrative point of view as the perspective from which the story is told. Ask: What is the voice the author has adopted for the story-- the work's narrator, speaker, or persona?
Just as a writer creates characters, she also creates a narrator for the story, so the writer speaks to us through the narrator, rather than directly as in an essay.

Four possibilities:

First Person - Narrator uses I and we rather than he, she, they. Most often the narrator is a protagonist or one of the major characters. Sometimes the narrator may be an observer and a participant in the story.
Examples: The Yellow Wallpaper, Nineteen Fifty-five

Third Person Omniscient - An all-knowing narrator gives thoughts of characters, judgments about them, as well as details of action and dialog
Examples: Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Parker Adderson, Philosopher

Third Person Limited Omniscient - Narrator focuses on thoughts, feelings and actions of a single major character
Examples: A Jury of Her Peers, Paul's Case, Barn Burning, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Third Person Dramatic or Objective - Like a camera, the narrator reports only what can be seen and heard; no thoughts of characters are given except as spoken.
Examples: The Blue Hotel, The Lottery

How does this affect the story?

Narrative Point of View	Advantages	Disadvantages
First Person	Eyewitness account, gives immediacy, realism to story Author can create dramatic irony Narrator can be unifying element	No direct interpretation by the author Bias or limited knowledge of narrator Danger that narrator may transcend his knowledge
Third Person Omniscient	God-like narrator gives thoughts of character, dimension to story Most flexible: author can control omniscience	Author can come between reader and story Shifting from character to character may destroy unity
Third Person Limited Omniscient	Realistic; we see world through one person Ready-made unifying element Useful characterization of point-of-view character	Limited field of observation Difficulty having character aware of all important events
Third Person Dramatic or Objective	Impartial report Offers most speed, action Reader must interpret	Author cannot interpret Relies heavily on action and dialog

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ENG 255 Narrative Point of View

Four possibilities:

Narrative Point of View

Advantages

Disadvantages