What is a Narrative Voice?
The perspective or point of view from which a story is told.
Finding Your Voice: Understanding Narrative Voice in Creative Writing
When writing a story, the way in which it is told is just as important as the plot and characters themselves. This is where narrative voice comes in. Narrative voice refers to the perspective or point of view from which a story is told. It is the voice of the narrator, the person or entity who is telling the story.
Narrative voice can have a big impact on the overall tone and mood of a story, and can also affect the reader's level of immersion and engagement with the narrative. There are several different types of narrative voice:
- First-person narrative: In first-person narrative, the narrator is a character within the story, and tells the story from their own perspective. This can provide a more intimate, personal feel to the story, but can also limit the reader's understanding of events that occur outside of the narrator's personal experience.
- Third-person omniscient: In third-person omniscient narrative, the narrator is not a character within the story, but instead knows everything about the events, characters, and feelings within the story. This allows for a broader perspective and can give the reader a more complete understanding of the story, but can also be more impersonal.
- Third-person limited: This type of narrative is similar to third-person omniscient, but instead focuses on a single character's perspective at a time. This can provide a more personal feel to the story that is similar to first-person narrative, but still allows for a more objective third-person outlook.
Each type of narrative voice has its own benefits and drawbacks, and it is ultimately up to the writer to choose the one that best fits their story. Understanding narrative voice is an important part of crafting a compelling and engaging narrative that resonates with readers.
Let's dive into two examples of how narrative voice plays a critical role in literature:
In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses a first-person narrative voice to give readers a glimpse into the mind of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield.
As Holden navigates through the complexities of adolescence and growing up, the reader is taken along on his journey, experiencing his frustrations, fears, and aspirations through his own eyes. Despite his flaws and mistakes, readers can't help but feel for Holden, largely due to the intimacy and honesty of the first-person narrative voice.
In contrast, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is told through a third-person limited narrative voice that focuses on the perspective of the character Nick Carraway.
As Nick becomes increasingly involved in the world of the wealthy and glamorous, the reader is given a glimpse into this world, but always through Nick's lens. This allows for a more objective presentation of events and characters, while still maintaining a sense of intimacy and personal investment due to Nick's involvement in the story.