Significance of Narrators: Robert Browning, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ian McEwan
The narrator recounts the events in a story.
Section B: Write about the significance of narrators in the work of three writers you have studied.
A01/A02/A03
Robert Browning
Narrators are particularly significant in Robert Browning’s poems, such as in ‘My Last Duchess’ where the Duke’s voice reveals his cold and egotistical nature - creating sympathy for his late wife. An illustration of this is when he chillingly concludes “I gave commands / Then all smiles stopped together”. Superior and detached, his absolute need for control and sense of power is acute. Furthermore, the militancy in his voice is demonstrated through the assertive choice of verb “to command” and also further reflected in his short and abrupt and segmented sentence structure. At this point, the narrative returns us to the present, as the Duke appears to swiftly onto the next topic; his next wife, creating a particularly dangerous and psychopathic character.
In contrast a seemingly passive narrator is presented in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’, with his twisted reflection on the situation being prevalently more dominate, adding to the air of ambiguity about his character. Alternatively, his narration follows his internal thoughts as he “debated” and “listened”.
F.Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway, the Great Gatsby’s narrator, has a crucial role in the novel - acting as not only the voice, but also as a participant. His ideal perspective is a well-calculated device by Fitzgerald allowing him to act as a ‘fly-on-the-wall’. Many critics have suggested Nick plays the role of the chorus in Ancient Tragedy, becoming the link between the reader and Gatsby. Although connected - he maintains distance, never becoming too directly involved allowing him to drift between characters and situations. It appears his wish is to “to look squarely at every one and yet to avoid all eyes” perhaps lacking the emotional attachment if looking in their “eyes” and yet being able too watch. Pressure is placed on
Section B: Write about the significance of narrators in the work of three writers you have studied.
A01/A02/A03
Robert Browning
Narrators are particularly significant in Robert Browning’s poems, such as in ‘My Last Duchess’ where the Duke’s voice reveals his cold and egotistical nature - creating sympathy for his late wife. An illustration of this is when he chillingly concludes “I gave commands / Then all smiles stopped together”. Superior and detached, his absolute need for control and sense of power is acute. Furthermore, the militancy in his voice is demonstrated through the assertive choice of verb “to command” and also further reflected in his short and abrupt and segmented sentence structure. At this point, the narrative returns us to the present, as the Duke appears to swiftly onto the next topic; his next wife, creating a particularly dangerous and psychopathic character.
In contrast a seemingly passive narrator is presented in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’, with his twisted reflection on the situation being prevalently more dominate, adding to the air of ambiguity about his character. Alternatively, his narration follows his internal thoughts as he “debated” and “listened”.
F.Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway, the Great Gatsby’s narrator, has a crucial role in the novel - acting as not only the voice, but also as a participant. His ideal perspective is a well-calculated device by Fitzgerald allowing him to act as a ‘fly-on-the-wall’. Many critics have suggested Nick plays the role of the chorus in Ancient Tragedy, becoming the link between the reader and Gatsby. Although connected - he maintains distance, never becoming too directly involved allowing him to drift between characters and situations. It appears his wish is to “to look squarely at every one and yet to avoid all eyes” perhaps lacking the emotional attachment if looking in their “eyes” and yet being able too watch. Pressure is placed on