Narration, Voice, & Tone

1. Narration, Voice, & Tone R 3.9  Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator affect characterization and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text.

2. Narration: An Overview An automobile accident occurs. Two drivers are involved. Witnesses include four sidewalk spectators, a policeman, a man with a video camera who happened to be shooting the scene, and the pilot of a helicopter that was flying overhead. Here we have nine different points of view and, most likely, nine different descriptions of the accident. • Perspective, feeling, & tone of story depends on who is telling the story • Ask yourself: who is the narrator?

3. Point of View Types • Omniscient (or Third Person Limited) • All knowing narrator • Knows everything about all characters • First Person • Narrator participates in action • Narrator’s story might not be the truth • Question his/her trustworthiness • Pronouns: I, me, my, mine, etc.

4. Point of View Types • The Unreliable Narrator • Biased • Only interested in his/her point of view • ALWAYS question trustworthiness • Third Person Limited • Narrator knows thoughts/feeling of ONE character • Pronouns: He, she, him, her, they etc. • Benefits over First Person?

5. gloomy humorous suspenseful Tone • Attitude writer takes toward the subject, character, or audience • A story’s tone can be described as:

6. Voice • Created by writer’s tone and word choice (diction) • Narrators can have a voice in fiction • Affects our view of characters & events It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation. What is our impression of Fortunato based on what Montressor says?

7. Can we trust Montressor??? • Which POV is “Cask of Amontillado” told from? Take a close look at his… • Actions • Speech • Name • Is he confessing his crime or bragging about it?

8. The Cask of Amontillado • Re-read the first paragraph of "The Cask of Amontillado." What does the narrator think of himself? To whom might he be speaking? • The narrator tells us that he had dealt with "injuries" and finally even an "insult" from Fortunato. What examples can you find in the story to support the narrator's perception that Fortunatoreally is so rude? • Re-read the final paragraph. Does Montresor feel any remorse for his actions? Explain you answer.

9. The Cask of Amontillado • How would the story be different if told from Fortunato’spersective? • Your task is to write a paragraph into the story that is told from Fortunato’s point of view. • Hints: What would he think about what Montressor is doing to him? What would he say? HOW would he say it?