Narrative and Voice

Narrative and Voice

Focalization:•Term coined by Genette•Reformulation of : “perspective” and “point of view”•Restricting of info by a narrator about characters

•1. Zero: Narrator > Character

•2. Internal: Narrator = Character

•3. External: Narrator < Character

•Esther > central consciousness +heroine

•Novel’s concentration > on Esther’s view of her story

>> Internal focalization

•Narrative restricted to Narrative restricted to Esther’s experienceEsther’s experience• It is a third-person It is a third-person narrativenarrative

• The following passage, describing Esther’s experience of The following passage, describing Esther’s experience of losing and regaining consciousness under chloroform, is losing and regaining consciousness under chloroform, is typical of this style:typical of this style:

He placed a small wire case over her mouth and nose. The sickly odor which she breathed from the cotton wool filled her brain with nausea; it seemed to choke her; life faded a little, and at every inhalation she expected to lose sight of the circle of faces. And then darkness began to lighten; night passed into dawn; she could hear voices, and when her eyes opened the doctors and nurses were standing round her, but there was no longer any expression of eager interest on their faces.

(Esther Waters, (Esther Waters, 68)68)

Other characters Other characters >> described from described from the outside.the outside.

Esther’s experiences Esther’s experiences >> direct direct informationinformation

Narrative Narrative >> what Esther what Esther witnesseswitnesses

• Esther’s observation of the race is Esther’s observation of the race is limited by limited by her restricted viewher restricted view..

>>>> Narrator attached to Esther Narrator attached to Esther

There were two or three false starts, and then, looking There were two or three false starts, and then, looking through the multitude of hats, Esther saw five or six through the multitude of hats, Esther saw five or six thin greyhound-looking horses. They passed like thin greyhound-looking horses. They passed like shadows, flitted by; and she was sorry for the poor shadows, flitted by; and she was sorry for the poor chestnut that trotted in among the crowd. chestnut that trotted in among the crowd.

((Esther WatersEsther Waters, 161), 161)

• Direct reference Direct reference to the thoughts, perceptions and to the thoughts, perceptions and emotions of Esther which may be subjective.emotions of Esther which may be subjective.

>>>> Includes Esther’s knowledge or ignorance Includes Esther’s knowledge or ignorance

Esther thought him a nice little fellow, and tried to Esther thought him a nice little fellow, and tried to persuade him to forgo his resolution not to touch pudding, persuade him to forgo his resolution not to touch pudding, until Mr Swindles told her to cheese it. The attention of until Mr Swindles told her to cheese it. The attention of the table being drawn to the boy, Esther wondered at the the table being drawn to the boy, Esther wondered at the admiration with which everybody viewed him; it seemed admiration with which everybody viewed him; it seemed strange that he should be the centre of so much interest, strange that he should be the centre of so much interest, for he was but a little fellow; the bigger boys were for he was but a little fellow; the bigger boys were overlooked.overlooked.


• Views and attitudes of Esther

• Esther thinks about the objects around her according to what she should do with them.

There were plates to wash and knives to clean, and when they were done there were potatoes, cabbage, onions to prepare, saucepans to fill with water, coal to fetch for the fire…

(Esther Waters, 8)

• JudgmentsJudgments of Esther of Esther

He had gone through the baize door, and no doubt He had gone through the baize door, and no doubt was sitting by Peggy in the new drawing-room. was sitting by Peggy in the new drawing-room. He had gone where she could not follow. He had He had gone where she could not follow. He had gone where the grand folk lived in idleness, in the gone where the grand folk lived in idleness, in the sinfulness of the world and the flesh, eating and sinfulness of the world and the flesh, eating and gambling, thinking of nothing else, with servants gambling, thinking of nothing else, with servants to wait on them, obeying their orders and saving to wait on them, obeying their orders and saving them from every trouble.them from every trouble.


References•Chapman, S. (2002). 'From their Point of View': voice and speech in George Moore's Esther Waters. Sage.•Fludernik, M. (n.d.). New Wine in Old Bottles? Voice, Focalization, and New Writing. In new literary history (pp. 619-638).

Spiritual

Narrative and Voice