Finding the right perspective

We all know that accounts of events can change, depending on who is telling the story.Two children who quarrel over a toy will probably tell very different tales when asked who started the fight. In literature, too, we find that writers can tell their stories in many different ways, and give many different perspectives to the same tale.

This extract from The Reading Group looks at how readers can recognise which point of view is being represented at different stages in a novel.

Before you read the extract Think about a novel or story you have read recently.Was it a first-person account, where one of the characters in the novel told the story directly to the reader, using words like ‘I’ and ‘me’? Or was it a third-person narrative, where someone described the actions of all the characters in the story, using words like ‘he’ and ‘she’?

As readers, we are drawn into the story being told, but we know that the story is shaped by its teller – the narrator. How does the narrator describe and interpret the events in the story? What is his or her point of view? And how can we, the readers, evaluate that point of view to find out how true or valid it is? First, we need to identify what kind of narrator is telling the story. In novels with a third-person narrator, the narrator seems to be outside the actions in the story. He or she may have unrestricted knowledge of all the characters and events in the novel and may help us to see the connections between them. However, although this third-person narrative can seem very objective, we need to ask ourselves what we know about the narrator’s attitude to the different characters. Is the narrator encouraging us to laugh at a particular character, or to sympathise with another? If so, why? The narrator’s point of view is sometimes easier to identify in first-person narratives. In these, the story is told by one of the characters in that story – from the inside, if you like. In these stories, however, we must remember that we are seeing things from the perspective of one person in the story, and we are likely to believe the narrator’s version of events. However, how would events differ if another character told the story?

1. Why is it important for readers to recognise the narrator’s point of view when reading a story or novel?
2. What are the main differences between first-person narratives and third-person narratives?

Answer

• Identifying the narrator’s perspective will help the reader to evaluate if what is being said is true or valid.
• 
  

First-person narratives	Third-person narratives
the narrator is inside the action therefore doesn’t know what all the characters are doing	the narrator has an overview of all the characters and events
the narration can be very subjective - other characters might see events differently	the narration can be seen as more objective BUT the narrator might influence the readers through his or her attitude to the characters

How does the narrator influence your reading of the story? Here are some points to consider while you read.

First-person narratives When you begin to read, identify which character is ‘I’.What is the narrator’s relationship to the other main characters? How does the narrator see the world? For example, if the narrator is a child, he or she may not be able to understand many of the actions of the adults in the story. As the reader, you will have to interpret those actions for yourself.

Third-person narratives How does the narrator feel about the various characters? For example, does the narrator use positive or negative language when describing individual characters? Think about each character. Remember that your opinion of the character is based on what the narrator has told you. Do you trust the narrator’s descriptions?

Re-read the story to look for clues about the narrator We often miss clues because we do not question what the narrator has told us.This is especially important if you are reading a mystery story. Don’t forget that the narrator in one of Agatha Christie’s detective novels is finally revealed to be a murderer, and the clues to the mystery are given in his version of events.

TASK

Think about a story or novel you have read recently and try to answer the following questions.

1. What type of narrative is it?
2. If it is a first-person narrative …
   
   • What is the relationship of the narrator to the other main characters?
   • Can you tell the story from the perspective of one of the other main characters?
3. If it is a third-person narrative …
   
   • How does the narrator feel about each of the main characters? For example, does the narrator present one of the characters in a very sympathetic way?
   • Go back to the story or novel.Try to identify some of the language which the narrator uses to create the impressions which you have been given.