The 6 Types Of Narrators, And How They Are Used In Literature

When telling stories, whether real or fictional, it is not only important what the world that is described is like and the events that occur in it. The way in which the figure of the narrator is used is also crucial, even when it seems that he is not part of the narrative itself.

In this article we will see what they are the main types of narrators in the different works of literature that explain stories, and how choosing one or the other has an effect on the psychological impact that these works cause.

The different types of narrators, and their characteristics

Human beings are characterized, among other things, by creating stories and narratives. These stories go far beyond the world of leisure, as one might think if, keeping in mind the concept of what literature is, we only focused on the best-selling novels. They offer a way of interpreting reality

Therefore, stopping to learn more about the main types of narrator is not frivolous, since this choice is part of the creative process of explaining something. Each one of them gives a different whole to the story. Let’s see a classification of these categories when it comes to narrating, going from first-person narrators to second-person narrators and, finally, reaching third-person narrators.

1. First person narrator

This type of narrator is very common, and serves to give a realistic and experiential tone to the story being told. Be supposed to The person who tells us the story was there when everything happened so we assume that the universe in which it occurs is the same one in which the narrator is in the present, so that it is subject to approximately the same rules.

Furthermore, the fact that everything is narrated in first person allows us to have more information about this character, who, although he does not have to be the protagonist, does usually have importance in the story, even if it is to help build the rest of the story. characters through the interaction of the first with the second, seeing how their personalities affect each other

In turn, this category can be divided into other types of narrators. They are the following.

1.1. Witness narrator

In these cases, the character who plays the role of narrator does not act as the protagonist, but rather as a person close to the protagonist and who attends the main events that articulate the story.

He is a type of narrator very useful when you want to show the personality of the protagonist, as well as his personal evolution and his narrative arc, in a subtle way, suggesting more than describing in a direct way, since there is no access to the real thoughts of that character. However, it is also possible to adopt a more impersonal style, as if everything were made up of reports.

Examples of this type of narrator are John Watson in the Sherlock Holmes novels or Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby.

1.2. Protagonist narrator

This is probably the most popular and used type of first-person narrator, as it is also one of the most intuitive and simple: the story is explained from the point of view of the person who must go through the main plot arc of the story. , just as we would do in real life if we were explaining something that has happened to us

Now, when using this resource it is possible to use many nuances. For example, narrating by talking about what is happening in the present allows the audience to be immersed in the story.

1.3. Narrator in flow of thoughts

This is a very rarely used type of narrator, since it tries to literally describe someone’s thoughts, as they emerge into consciousness Consequently, everything is explained in real time, with the present being the reference moment.

The different narrators of The noise and the furyby William Faulkner, are an example of this.

2. Second person narrator

This type of narrator is characterized by explaining a story to a specific person. It can be presented in epistolary format, as if everything were composed of letters addressed to a recipient, or as if it were a real dialogue in which basically one person speaks and the other listens, sometimes pretending to answer questions asked by the listener

3. Third person narrator

Finally, in the third person narrator, the one who explains the story to us is characterized by not participating at all, or participating as little as possible, in the course of history It can be divided into two categories.

3.1. Omniscient narrator

One of the most used types of narrator. It is spoken from the point of view of an entity totally foreign to the plane of reality in which everything that is explained occurs, as if it were a kind of god who has access to all the information at the same time, even to the mental states of all the characters directly.

It must be taken into account that although it is possible to reliably describe what each character thinks and feels, for reasons linked to the coherence and quality of the narration, it is avoided to move from one mind to another in a chaotic way, and instead From that, we choose to focus the focus of attention on a character and what is happening around him.

The novel Champion’s breakfast, by Kurt Vonnegut, combines this type of narration with that of the witness narrator, for example. Something similar happens in Fogby Miguel de Unamuno.

3.2. Observer narrator

It is similar to the previous one, but in this case you do not have direct access to all the information about what is happening. However, the narrator is involved as little as possible in what happens, both physically and psychologically. Try to be neutral and objective.