The function of a narrator
"The role of the narrator influences the type of relationship we have not only with him or her but also with the story" (Landy 75). This quote was taken from our Literary Studies book in which we have read several stories concerning different styles of narration. Narration is one of the most important components of a story. The characters, plot, setting, and theme are also significant, however the narrator sets the mood and also the pace of the story. Two good examples of narration is the short tale The Zebra Storyteller by Spencer Holst and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. These are stories in which the narrators retain certain styles of narration. An outside book that we have not read is the fairy tale Cinderella. In these three works, the narrators have specific functions or duties to carry throughout the story. In The Zebra Storyteller the narrator is a Siamese cat but the narrator is also an outsider. During the story the cat tells a story to his friends about how skillful and 'powerful' he is at killing zebras. Towards the end of the story the cat is handed his fate; he is kicked and killed by a zebra, who sensed feared when approached. At the end of the story Holst concludes with the statement, "That i
At the end her husband collapses due to the sight of his wife 'creeping through the wallpaper. When the fairy godmother turned the mice into horsemen the narrator remarks, "The pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach and the mice became six white horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman, in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. They can teach a lesson, control the story, entertain, and stretch one's own imagination. This story is about a woman who is in a mental hospital where she is kept in a room that has very old yellow wallpaper on the walls. The narrator describes in great detail major points of the story. In this story the narrator is an outsider who tells the story of a young girl who meets a prince that she falls in love with. As the story continues the narrator is drawn toward the hideous wallpaper and finds herself in the wallpaper. Of course this story is fictional but it is an excellent story to portray how a narrator can expand the reader's imagination. The narrator in Cinderella has a magical way with words. The function of the narrator in this story is to cause the reader to imagine and picture the story. In this story it is a great example how the story can take a sudden unexpected turn and shock the reader. She says, "Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good" (Gilman 78). A significant theme can be taught by the way the narrator tells the story and how the atmosphere or mood is created. As the story continues she becomes more abstract due to her deteriorating awareness of reality.
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Acceptance Essays
