[HPforGrownups] Re: JKR's narrative strategy (Was: Whose point of view ?)

[AnitaKH]

No: HPFGUIDX 107047




carol wrote:It's important to distinguish among different
> types of narrative strategies because they affect our interaction with and understanding of the characters
<snip>
But a limited omniscient character can sometimes use a character other than the protagonist (e.g. Vernon Dursley in SS/PS chapter one) or report events without revealing the thoughts of any characters 

adi responded:
  ...I have some problem with this 'limited' omniscient view. How come JKR'S view is limited? [snip]
   And yes, I'm not master in English but it strikes me as odd that omniscience can ever be limited. It is either there or not. 

akh jumps in: "Limited omniscient" is an accepted term to describe a third-person narrator who has access to the thoughts and actions of more than one character, but not all.  Is it an oxymoron?  You betcha!  However, no one said academia  has no sense of humor. ;-)

Let's look at it thus: JK Rowling (JKR) is the Creator (Goddess?); Limited Omniscient (LO)is the narrator/story-teller.  JKR knows all, sees all, and chooses how much LO knows.  LO knows more than Harry or any one character, but not as much as JKR.  (We could argue that LO doesn't know any more than Dumbledore, but that's another issue altogether.)

 
carol:
Equally interesting is the choice of characters whose minds the narrator does not and perhaps cannot enter: Dumbledore, Snape, the DADA teacher of the moment, Sirius Black, Petunia Dursley, and many others. 


adi:

The fact doesn't mean that the narrator hasn't entered these minds doesn't mean that she can't. And if she really can't, there must be some reason as to why she can enter only certain minds and not others. 

akh: If the narrator (LO) can't, it's because JKR/Goddess has made that decision.  If it serves her story, JKR could decide to let LO reveal any one of the characters' complete inner workings.  Conversely, she could shut off Harry Potter at some crucial moment, although that's pretty unlikely.  

If this is still confusing, blame it on the lack of caffeine!

akh, who ought to be exercising, but this is so much more fun!



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