Narrative Technique: Point of View
What it tells about a narrator or character: The point of view (POV) chosen by the narrator significantly shapes the reader's understanding of characters and events. For example, a first-person POV can provide intimate access to a character's thoughts and emotions, revealing their biases, motivations, and complexities. This can enhance empathy or create a sense of unreliability, compelling readers to question the truth of what they are being told. In contrast, a third-person omniscient point of view may offer a broader understanding of multiple characters' thoughts and experiences, presenting a more holistic view of the story while potentially distancing the reader from individual perspectives. The chosen POV can reveal the narrator’s background, values, or intentions, influencing how much the audience sympathizes with or judges the characters involved.
Narrative Technique: Description/Sensory Language
What it tells about a narrator or character: The use of description and sensory language provides vivid imagery that helps readers experience the world of the story more deeply. It can reveal a character's emotional state or mindset; for instance, a character may describe a setting in bright, lively colors if they are happy or filled with anxiety if details are more muted and chaotic. The sensory details evoke feelings of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, allowing readers to form a connection to the environment and the characters' experiences within it. The richness of the description can also reflect the narrator's personality or emotional state, suggesting whether they are hopeful, despairing, nostalgic, or indifferent. Ultimately, descriptive and sensory language serves to enhance the mood of the narrative, deepen character development, and immerse readers in the story’s atmosphere.
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