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Fictional Narrative Basics - Point of View
Unit Completion Date: End of Week 5
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In addition to a sense of who the narrator is, it may also help you to control point of view if you have some idea of who the narrator is addressing, a "narratee." Michael Riffaterre discusses this idea in the introduction to his A L'Etudie du Narrataire, when he says that in addition to deciding who a story is told by, an author also implicitly or explicitly decides who a story is being told to. Before you begin drafting, think of who it is in the world you would most like to tell your story to, and then keep them in mind as you write.
Keeping these two concepts in mind, re-examine your selected story from Best American and identify who is telling the story.
- If the narrator is not a character in the story, try to decide what relationship that narrator might have to the characters. Does the narrator make judgments about the characters and their actions? Does the narrator have a discernable attitude toward or opinion about the characters and/or the events of the story? Are there any indications to whom the narrator might be addressing the story?
- If the narrator is a character in the story, decide whether the character is relating events basically as they are happening, or from some other vantage point. Decide if the reportage is given as a story told to a third party (the reader), if it is more like a glimpse inside the character's head as events unfold, or some other perspective. Are there any indications to whom the narrator might be addressing the story?
These questions are often crucial to a critical understanding of a fictional work.
To get an idea of how profoundly narratees can affect narration, complete Exercise 81 in What If?, "Five Different Versions: And Not One is a Lie," on page 217. These responses will not be posted to the course site, but should be kept in the "Point of View" section of your craftbook.
Point of View Exercise 2 (Opt.) - Submit Response
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