Understanding the Basics of Third Person Narration

Understanding the Basics of Third Person Narration

Writing a story is all about exploring the depths of imagination and bringing your ideas to life with words. The choice of narration style plays a crucial role in defining the outcome of your story. While first-person narration is personal and intimate, third-person narration offers a broader and more objective perspective.

In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the basics of third-person narration and explore why it’s a popular choice among writers.

What is Third Person Narration?

Third-person narration is a storytelling technique where the narrator recounts the events of a story from an outsider’s perspective, referring to the characters as ‘he,’ ‘she,’ or ‘they.’ Unlike first-person narration, the narrator is not a character in the story but an observer who can offer insights into the plot, describe the environment, and provide the reader with emotions and thoughts of the characters.

Types of Third-Person Narration

There are two types of third-person narration: limited and omniscient.

Limited third-person narration limits the perspective of the story to one character, and the narrator recounts the story’s events from their point of view. This type of narration allows the readers to get an in-depth insight into the character’s thoughts and emotions, providing them with a deep understanding of the character’s personality.

Omniscient third-person narration, on the other hand, is an all-knowing perspective that allows the narrator to describe the story’s events from multiple characters’ viewpoints. This type of narration offers a broader perspective of the story and provides the readers with a better understanding of the plot and characters.

Importance of Third Person Narration

Third-person narration offers numerous benefits for writers; it allows them to:

– Cover more ground: With third-person narration, writers can traverse through different characters and settings, providing the reader with an all-encompassing view of the story.
– Offer specificity: With third-person narration, writers can zoom in and out of characters’ thoughts and emotions, providing specificity to the narrative.
– Create distance: Third-person narration helps readers create a distance from the characters and provides objectivity. This is especially useful in dramatic scenes that embed complex themes and emotions.
– Show not tell: Third-person narration allows writers to show, rather than tell. This is particularly useful when writers want to enhance the impact of the story’s climax by providing a critical revelation.

Examples of Third Person Narration

To bring a better understanding of third-person narration, here are some popular examples from literature:

– Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
– F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
– J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series

Conclusion

Third-person narration provides writers with the flexibility to explore their story’s characters and settings while connecting with the reader on a personal level. The type of narration style chosen is up to the writer’s preference and the story’s requirements. Still, with third-person narration, writers can showcase their writing prowess, resulting in a story that’s rich in emotions and context.