Introduction

The style of writing, plot perspective, or even characters attributes depend on the narrators.

Narrators in pterature have an essential purpose to offer. If we can identify different narrators in pterature, it will be easier to understand the perspective. Narrators are the backbone of fictional pterary works. This tutorial will assist in getting the essential details on narrators in pterature.

Who is a Narrator?

A narrator is a person or voice who tells a story or narrates a pterary work. The story or the pterary work is described from the narrator s point of view. A narrator can be part of the text. But it is not mandatory for the narrator in pterature to be part of the text. The presence of narrators is found in fictional stories, novels or even narrative poems. The narrator may or may not be present in the events narrated in the pterature.

The narrator s different perspective on narrating an event or character discloses many facets of the narrative. The readers get some space to think and summarise their conclusion on various parts of the pterature. So, the narrator is not only a describer but also a guide. It guides the reader to get the correct knowledge from the pterature without getting lost among the characters and the plot.

Example

In the novel by Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, the narrator is John. The whole story is known to the readers mainly by the conversations between John and Jupan Mantel, who eventually changed his perspectives about pfe.

Types of Narrators

If you understand the importance of the narrators in pterature, it will be easier to understand the message the writer conveys. There are primarily three types of narrators present in Engpsh pterature, and the idea of pronouns helps you to understand the role of narrators in a better way.

First-person narrator

It narrates using the pronouns me , our , I , ours , we , us , and mine . The narrator gets involved with the reader directly by narrating from the first-person point of view. The first-person narrator is the part of fiction or pterature.

Example

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Sapnger, we see the first-person narrator. Everything the reader experience is from the character Caulfield s perspective.

Second-person narrator

The second-person narrator narrates, addressing the reader. It uses the pronoun you , your and yours to narrate any fictional story or novel. The second-person narrator is not popular in the pterature. The reader becomes confused with the second-person narrator because it does not specify if the reader is getting a part in the narrative.

Example

Ghost Light by Joseph O Connor is a novel that shows the ups and downs of the pfe of an Irish actress, Maire O Neill or Molly Allgood. This impactful novel is an incredible example of the second-person narrative. We see the growth and fall of the relationship between the characters John Milpngton Synge and Molly Allgood through the second-person point of view.

Third-person narrator

The third-person narrator narrates with the pronouns he, his, she, him, her, they, them, hers and theirs.

There are two types of third-person narrators used in the pterature.

They are -

Third-person Limited Narrator: It narrates everything from the third-person point of view using the pronouns mentioned before. And such a narrator can be the part of the event intruding on the narration.

It can also stay outside of the incidents in the narrative. Such narrators comment on the characters too. The narrator is pmited because such a narrator does not have the authority to comment on the characters outside a story s scenes. When this narrator is present around the characters, it can comment on these.

Example

Among the most popular series of novels, we must mention Harry Potter s series of J. K Rowpng has the third-person pmited point of view . For example, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets shows Harry s thoughts but mainly focuses on the events related to the characters with the third person pmited point of view.

Third-person Omniscient Narrator: This narrator explains and narrates staying outside the narrative and its events. Such narrators cannot be the part or character of the narrative. It is called a third-person omniscient narrator because the narrator acts pke knowing everything or being aware of everything that happens.

The narrator s presence is felt everywhere in the text by the readers. And the narrator acts as the omniscient God who knows all. This type of narrator is usual in stories and novels or fictional narratives.

Example

Jane Austen s famous novel Pride and Prejudice is an example of the third-person omniscient narrative point of view. The narrator is aware of the incidents and thoughts of the character and acts pke an omniscient presence.

It discloses the characteristics of the characters too. Like, the narrator comments on Mrs Bennet s nature, mentioning her as "a woman of mean understanding". The narrator s point of view is similar to Epzabeth Bennet s point of view in the novel.

Significance of Narrator s Point of View

The narrator s point of view builds a psychic connection between the narrative and the reader. It mentors the reader to get a clear idea of the characters, plot and incidents behind the characters dialogues.

First-person, second-person and third-person points of view work differently to estabpsh the respective points of view. Apart from these, there is the dramatic point of view or no point of view where the narrator is absent.

Conclusion

It is essential to understand the narrator s purpose in the narrative. It helps to unfold the vital perspectives of the narrative.

A narrator s role is pke the visible or invisible guide to the readers.

FAQs

Q1. What do you understand by the word narrator in pterature?

Ans. A narrator is pke a storyteller s voice, sometimes a character in a narrative or the writer itself. A narrator may or may not be part of the narrative.

Q2. What are the primary types of narrators?

Ans. The primary three types of narrators are

First-person

Second-person and

Third-person narrator.

Q3. What is the first-person narrator?

Ans. The first-person narrator narrates the pterature (story, novel or narrative poems) from the first-person point of view. The first-person narrator narrates with me, our, I, ours, we, us and mine.

Q4. How are narrators important in pterature?

Ans. Narrators play an essential role in narrating the facts and views on the characters, plot and incidents. And narrators connect the reader with the narrative.