Re-envisioning Point-of-Views: Experimenting With Intrusive Third Person Narrators

When it comes to point-of-view, most contemporary fiction either places the narrator in the action of the story itself, or the narrator is bodiless. They act as objective cameras, following the action and giving voice to the story but nothing more. 

But this hasn’t always been the case. In oral traditions, the teller was visible and present with the audience and in 19th century novels, narrators were much more active in commenting on the plot and characters.  Intrusive narrators – though not involved with the action of the story – make themselves known to the audience, even frequently addressing them directly. 

While this was often used to moralize during the 19th century, it can be a useful way to build emotional layers to the story being told, a sense of mystery, and even a secondary, illusive narrative. 

First Person vs. Third Person vs. Second Person Perspective

When it comes to talkative narrators, typically the first person perspective reigns supreme.  In the singular first person point-of-view, a narrator is directly telling a story that they are involved in.  Third person point-of-view typically involves an uninvolved narrator – someone discussing actions of others and events that happened to others. 

These two are the most common points-of-views, but some works use plural first person perspectives, where the story is being told by a collective we, or second person perspective that follows the actions and thoughts of a “you” character.  These are popular in experimental fiction and can create a variety of surprising effects. 

Benefits of Singular First Person Perspective

First person perspective is incredibly popular in young adult fiction – but it also has its place in  adult literary fiction as well. One of the reasons it is so popular in YA fiction is the immediate emotional bond it can create between reader and character. When coupled with present tense, it can also create a more immediate feeling to the action which ups the tension. Present tense first person point-of-view is a great perspective to consider if you are writing something action based such as The Hunger Games, where you want the fate of your main character to be something that is up in the air from moment to moment. 

First person can feel very intimate and confessional which can help your audience identify with the character. You can also manipulate this trust easily by developing an unreliable narrator.  First person perspective can trick you into feeling like you know the narrator. This creates a great opportunity for tension when the plot reveals truths about the narrator that they aren’t comfortable with, such as in Chang-Rae Lee’s A Gesture Life. The novel’s opening line “People know me here” and use of first person narration creates a sense of trust between the reader and the narrator which becomes strained as his past is revealed. 

First person perspectives also allow for distinct character voices which can be entertaining, assist with world building, and function as  political and social commentary. However it’s important to keep in mind that too much dialect can seem over-done and be off-putting.  

Benefits of First Person Plural Perspective

The most famous example of the first person plural point-of-view is likely William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” which is centered on a town’s speculations about a recently deceased woman. 

This perspective is great for examining how a hive mind works and exploring groupthink. It can be especially effective when you’re working with themes about conformity and difference by exposing how a collective reacts against a perceived outsider. 

Benefits of Second Person Perspective

Second person invites the reader into the story through the use of  “you” which can, in some cases, create a greater emotional intimacy.  However, it can create a sense of dissonance for your reader since it also often highlights the artifice of the text.  The distance between “you” the character and “you” the reader can be jarring for the reader – which can help create tension and in some cases, mute intense emotions. This means it can be an effective perspective for experimental fiction and meta-fiction. Margaret Atwood’s “Bread” is a fantastic example of this. 

Benefits of Third Person Perspective

Third person is flexible and carries a certain authority to it that first person narrators don’t. It allows you to incorporate ensemble casts, and depending on how omniscient your narrator is, show different characters’ thoughts and feelings. This can create a great sense of dramatic irony and depth. 

While there may be less immediate emotional connection between your reader and character, the muted emotions may work in favor for certain literary genres, or creating abstract characters that work well in fabulist stories or fairy tales. 

Intrusive Third Person Narrators

Typically, third person narrators don’t come with their own personality. They’re invisible and at least (on the surface of things) objective. 

Intrusive narrators are still telling a story that is (supposedly) disconnected from them, but they have more of a presence and personality. Intrusive third person narrators will interject into the story, often addressing the audience directly when they do so. They can have their own dialect and add their opinion to the story being told.  Authors in the 19th century used to use intrusive narrators or include authorial intrusions frequently. At times, narrators would espouse lengthy sermons about morals. In the 20th century, this type of narration fell out of fashion. 

But a semi-present narrator can do more than lecture your audience. When used correctly, it can create an extra layer of interest to your story. After all – if you have a narrator addressing an audience, they too can become characters of their own alluded-to story. 

Creating Layers With an Intrusive Third Person Storyteller

If you create a purpose behind your narrator’s intrusions, you can tell a story within a story. Or rather, create a story behind your story.  Someone is telling somebody else a story – who is the teller and who is the listener? What’s their relationship? Why is the story being told? 

With a delicate touch, you can create an illusive frame story. By hinting at a story behind-the-scenes through your intrusions, you’ll create questions in the reader’s mind about the relationship between storyteller and constructed audience. By not answering all the questions directly, your readers will be left to comb through the story being told for clues as to who is speaking, who is being spoken to, and why. 

Learning to Play with Perspective 

Deciding on what point-of-view to work is a common struggle for writers of all levels of experience. When deciding between first person perspective or third person perspective or something more experimental such as an intrusive narrator, it’s important to consider what genre you’re writing in and what your aim is for the story as a whole. Sometimes, it can be worth going out on a limb and trying something new with your point-of-view. 

If you’ve been playing with experimental fiction – we’d love to see it. We love new voices, and new spins on perspectives. Check out our submissions page for details on how to submit your work. Or, if you’re interested in taking classes or brushing up on more writing tools, subscribe to our newsletter below for updates on class schedules and blog posts.