Narration and Point of ViewNarration and Point of View

Tania HinesTania Hines

Arati SharmaArati Sharma

NarrationNarration

Narration: Narration: – refers to the act of telling a story, whether in refers to the act of telling a story, whether in

prose or in verseprose or in verse– And the means by which that telling is And the means by which that telling is

accomplished.accomplished.

Example 1: narrative forms in prose are the Example 1: narrative forms in prose are the novel the novella, and the short story.novel the novella, and the short story.

Example 2: Narrative forms in verse are epic.Example 2: Narrative forms in verse are epic.

NarratorNarrator

Narrator: of a literary work, of fiction, or Narrator: of a literary work, of fiction, or poetry is the one who tells the story.poetry is the one who tells the story.

The narrator is always in some sense the The narrator is always in some sense the authors invention, one of the devices that he authors invention, one of the devices that he or she is using to shape the narrative.or she is using to shape the narrative.

Point of ViewPoint of View

Point of view: can be identified by the Point of view: can be identified by the pronoun that the narrator uses to recount pronoun that the narrator uses to recount events. “I”, “we”, “he”, “she” “you”.events. “I”, “we”, “he”, “she” “you”.

Example: In Song of Solomon pg.333 Example: In Song of Solomon pg.333 ““SheShe came all the way down and came all the way down and hehe looked looked

in in herher eyes and at eyes and at herher still mouth.” still mouth.”

First PersonFirst Person

The first person invites the reader to engage The first person invites the reader to engage with a speaker who seems to be reading with a speaker who seems to be reading first-hand experiences. The pronoun used is first-hand experiences. The pronoun used is “I”, “We”.“I”, “We”.

Example 1:

I have had an illustrious past. I have been a pirate, a knight and a Native American Princess. I have traveled to many lands, done great deeds, and witnessed incredible sights, while still eating home cooked meals and sleeping in my own bed.

Adrienne Lee- Journeys from the Dress-Up Box

Despite my kindergarten teacher’s warnings, I talk to strangers whenever I can- eighteen years of living have convinced me that chance encounters are simply too important to do otherwise.

Joe Sullivan -Untitled

Third PersonThird Person

This is when the pronouns like “he” “she” This is when the pronouns like “he” “she” “they” are used to tell the story. “they” are used to tell the story.

There are two types of Third Person Point of There are two types of Third Person Point of viewview

Third Person Limited point of view- Narrator Third Person Limited point of view- Narrator describes events only from the perspective describes events only from the perspective and understanding of one or a few and understanding of one or a few characters.characters.

Third Person Omniscient Point of view- The Third Person Omniscient Point of view- The narrator can enter into the consciousness of narrator can enter into the consciousness of any character, evaluate motives, explain any character, evaluate motives, explain feelings, recount background and predict feelings, recount background and predict outcome.outcome.

– Intrusive narrator- Intrusive narrator- a third person narrator who a third person narrator who offers philosophical or moral commentary on the offers philosophical or moral commentary on the characters and the events.characters and the events.

-- Objective narrator-- Objective narrator- a third person narrator whose - a third person narrator whose presence is merely implied. We are left to infer the presence is merely implied. We are left to infer the character’s feelings from the spare matter of fact report character’s feelings from the spare matter of fact report like dialogueslike dialogues

Examples:

Third Person Limited- The black snake of wounded vanity had been gnawing at his heart all night. When he got out of bed, Pyotr Petrovitch immediately looked in the lookingg-glass.

Fyodor Dostoevsky- Crime and Punishment

Third Person Omniscent-“Exactly at midnight, when Anna was still sitting at her desk finishing a letter to Dolly, she heard the measured steps of slippered feet, and Alexei Alexandrovich, washed and combed, a book under his arm, came up to her.” “It's time, it's time,” he said with a special smile, and went into the bedroom.“And what right did he have to look at him like that?" thought Anna, recalling how Vronsky looked at Alexei Alexandrovich.

Leo Tolstoy- Anna Karenina

Second person Point of view- The narrator addresses the audience directly using the pronoun “you”

Example :

You must write from what you know, from what has happened to you. He wants deaths, he wants camping trips. Think about what has happened to you.

Lorrie Moore's -How to Become a Writer