'Two basic kinds of narration exist - the omniscient and the limited' Tomashevsky)
'Two basic kinds of narration exist - the omniscient and the limited' Tomashevsky). Consider the implications of this distinction in your chosen texts.
It has been said that 'two basic kinds of narration exist - the omniscient and the limited' (Tomashevsky). In this essay I shall consider the implications of this distinction in Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and Equiano's Travels. Where Omniscient narration is used, the narrator has a 'godlike' perspective giving the reader an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters and can describe to the reader events taking place in multiple locations at the same time offering a variety of point of views simultaneously. Limited narration offers only the viewpoint of a single character, from whose perspective the story will be told. However, the reader may be able to deduce further information about events from what is shown, although this may be the reader's interpretation rather than what the author intended. It is worth remembering however, that Tomashevsky s statement reduces a much broader of possible narrative forms to the two basic types. Omniscient powers may be focused upon one character, as is seen in limited omniscience, and dialogue can be used in limited narration to show the views of a range of characters, depending on whether it is written in the first person - 'I', 'me', 'us' or the third person - 'he', she', 'they.
Austen uses omniscient narration in Northanger Abbey in order to fully develop her characters. In the novel, she focuses mainly on the key character, Catherine Morland. In doing this, she is able to fully develop the character and provide a detailed description of both the physical features - 'she began to curl her hair', 'her complexion improved, her features were softened by plumpness and colour, her eyes gained more animation and her figure more consequence'. And also the personality of the character 'her heart was affectionate, her disposition cheerful and open', early in the novel, so the reader is aware from the outset what to expect from the characters personality. However while the novel focuses mainly on Catherine's experiences, Austen also provides the reader with information on Catherine's family which serves to provide further information about Catherine, and uses dialogue both as a means of conveying information and providing an insight into other main characters. Dialogue is used where it is needed, and it is often followed by a comment or brief piece of information which allows the reader greater understanding of events and characters. Omniscient narration allows the story to develop at a faster pace as it negates the need for lengthy dialogues. As the narrator states in the novel, following a short passage on Mrs Thorpe:
'This brief account of the family is intended to supersede the necessity of a long and minute detail from Mrs Thorpe herself, of her past adventures and sufferings, which might otherwise be expected to occupy the three or four following chapters .... And conversations which had passed twenty years before be minutely repeated.'
In telling the story this way the narrator retains the readers' interest more easily, as information is readily available and avoids cluttering the novel with long drawn-out passages of dialogue in order to show the reader what could have been stated in a few ...
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'This brief account of the family is intended to supersede the necessity of a long and minute detail from Mrs Thorpe herself, of her past adventures and sufferings, which might otherwise be expected to occupy the three or four following chapters .... And conversations which had passed twenty years before be minutely repeated.'
In telling the story this way the narrator retains the readers' interest more easily, as information is readily available and avoids cluttering the novel with long drawn-out passages of dialogue in order to show the reader what could have been stated in a few words.
Of Eleanor, we are told that 'She seemed capable of being young attractive, and at a ball, without wanting to fix the attention of every man near her, and without exaggerated feelings of ecstatic delight or in conceivable vexation on every trifling occurrence', showing her to be the opposite of Isabella.
We are also told that 'Catherine, interested at once by her appearance and her relationship with Mr Tilney, was desirous of being acquainted with her.' This leaves the reader in no doubt about Catherine's feelings regarded by Eleanor. Her main interest is to become better acquainted with Eleanor's brother, more so than it is in fact that Eleanor is blessed with many good qualities, and in this way the relationship between Catherine and Eleanor are similar as both Catherine and Isabella wish to promote friendships with the sisters of the men they are interested in. Omniscient narration makes this connection explicit, rather than leaving the reader to infer the connection themselves.
One of the potential drawbacks of this type of narrative is that in providing the reader with all the detail leaves little to the imagination. This is overcome in the novel by holding back information which would be of little interest - 'this brought on a dialogue of civilities between the other two; but Catherine heard neither the particulars nor the result,' So that the statement serves to the move the story forward without distracting the reader from what is important. Where dialogue is used it usually serves the purpose of showing the reader the relationship between the characters with specific examples, such as 'the following conversation is given as a specimen of their very warm attachment, and of the delicacy, discretion, originality of thought, and literary taste which marked the reasonableness of that attachment.' The narrator in this novel also admits to not having all the answers, 'Whether she thought of him so much...cannot be ascertained,' which has the effect that the reader then becomes curious to discover what form of relationship will develop between Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney and is kept guessing until later in the novel. Although this contradicts the definition of omniscience, it makes the narrative both more believable and more interesting. The use of omniscient narration allows the reader to be introduced to the characters as Catherine is acquainted with them and learn more about the characters, rather than rely on mundane recollections.
In Northanger abbey, the reader is given an all knowing view of the characters, and is left in little doubt about what has become of the main characters by the end of the novel. It is as if the characters were real people who are familiar to the reader. This is one of the major aspects of omniscient narration as many readers want as detailed characterisation as possible.
In contrast, limited narration focuses almost entirely upon one character, and when written in the first person the reader is told the entire story through the eyes of the main character, which means the audience, is aware only to what that character experiences. This has the effect of making the account more realistic, as when it is written in the first person it is as if the narrator is addressing the audience directly in a similar way to a monologue. However it also means that the reader has to judge for themselves whether they trust the narrator, as they have no other perspectives on the situations which arise within the novel and are often left to make their own judgements, often with less information than omniscient narration would provide. This can be seen in the case of Equiano's Travels, which is narrated by the character of Equaiano. It is important to remember though, that The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African, also known as Equiano's Travels, was written as an autobiographical account of an African slave, and therefore is a recollection of events as remembered by the author. The characters are therefore likely to have been real people or at least based upon real people, and so it is based on real events the author would not have 'known' the characters in the same way an author of a purely fictional work may 'know' their characters as in a fictional novel the author would have created the complete make up of the individual.
The story opens with an account of his early life, and presents a variety of information, although this is all displayed as a factual recollection with no mention of his views on the events and any information which cannot be recalls is omitted. Opinions are rarely given and the characters included are given no depth. Often characters are mentioned and then quickly disregarded as the topic changes. Information is very generalised; we are told briefly about various features of life in Eboe, and then move swiftly on. It has been said that 'Equiano's story is often as striking for its omissions and silences as it is for its more obvious details' (Walvin 1998). What is not said may be omitted to protect the reputation of the real life characters and the community from which he came, and it is important to remember that many societies would not wish their traditions to be exposed especially at a time when little was known about African cultures in comparison with modern society. This highlights a key characteristic of a limited narrative as the narrator can be selective of what they include in this instance an autobiographical story may not be completely reliable as the writer may wish to protect the real life characters.
While some indication is given of other characters' intentions and feelings regarding the events which occur, this is limited to how Equiano perceives them and therefore the reader is never entirely certain, in much the same way in that in real-life situations we are often left only knowing half of what really happened based upon who tells us, as we only ever hear what the storyteller regards as important and what shows them in the best light. A first person narrative will always contain an unbalanced perspective and even the most honest narrator cannot be completely trusted and will be biased in there depictions of events. Another disadvantage of limited narration is that only a limited amount of information is provided. We do not discover what becomes of Olaudah's sister after they are separated, or what the situation is elsewhere. We are made aware that Equiano has only a limited experience of the world; this however is more shown than told - we can deduce this information based on the amount he wishes to know about the ship.
Through the use of limited narration we gain a great deal of knowledge about Equiano, and as many of the other characters are so undeveloped we do tend not to wonder about them. It does, however give a biased perspective of the slave trade, and while contemporary society accepts this view, we are left questioning how and why the majority of society accepted slavery for so long. This again can be attributed to the fact that it is an auto biographical account, and written in this form as opposed to being told in the form of a fictional work based on his experiences, which would have allowed the author to provide further details and perspectives. The reader is also left wondering what motivates the writer to describe the events in his life - whether he sets out to educate, as many would share the view that 'Equine's autobiography was written as a contribution not merely to the rising tide of British abolitionism, but as a story which spoke for millions of other African slaves who had no voice,' (Walvin, 1998) or to show his achievements in life. This uncertainty leaves many readers suspicious of the narrator's intentions. Walvin's view may help to explain why Gustavus Vassa chose to tell his story in the way he did, as many slaves were unable to express themselves in the way he is able to do so, and his presentation of characters may reflect this - the people who they are based upon have no voice and so they are shown to the reader in this way.
Although it is written in the past tense, it is written in a chronological way so the reader is given no clues as to what will happen next, and while it can be seen to be an adventure story in which a man overcomes troubles to eventually succeed, it is difficult to predict each twist and turn. So although the narrator knows what is to come he tells the tale as though written in the present with no insight into future happenings.
In conclusion, omniscient narration allows a variety of perspectives and allows the narrator to shift from one point of view to another creating a broad view of the story. Limited narration in contrast, requires the action to be more focused and although it can allow the reader a deeper understanding of the central character, the reader must judge the character based on what is shown, and whilst limited narration is often very gripping and realistic, omniscient narration provides a more balanced story by providing answers to the questions that limited narration could not.
Bibliography
Austen, Jane, Northanger Abbey, (Berkshire:Penguin Popular Classics, 1994)
Craik, W.A Jane Austen: The Six Novels (London, Methuen and Co Ltd, 1965)
Edwards, Paul (Ed), Equiano, Olaudah, Equiano's Travels, (Oxford, Heinemann Educational Publishers
Gill, Richard, and Gregory, Susan, Mastering the novels of Jane Austen, (Berkshire Palgrave Macmillan,2003)
Lodge, David, The Art of Fiction, (London Penguin Books Ltd, 1992)
Walvin, James, An African's Life and Times of Olaudah Equiano 1745-1797, (London and New York, Cassel, 1998)