There are basically four types of narrator:
- Narrator character: participates in the story as a protagonist. Narrates in first person.
- witness narrator: participates in the story as a secondary character. Narrates in first and third people.
- intruder omniscient narrator: is an observant narrator who does not participate in the story and has unlimited knowledge about what goes on inside the characters, making comments and criticisms. Narrates using the third person.
- Neutral omniscient narrator: is a kind of observer narrator, but adopts a more objective and neutral posture. Narrates using the third person.
The narrator is the one who tells the story (narrative). It is a fictional entity (different from the author) that presents the story to the reader from their point of view (narrative focus).
Narrator character
The narrator character is present in the story as a character and narrates the events in the first person. He therefore participates in the action and his knowledge of things is limited to what he sees and knows about the other characters.
A is an example of a narrative text in which the story is usually a character narrator. In many cases, the narrator is the protagonist (main character), receiving the name of autodiegetic narrator. This is what happens in the chronicle “My kingdom for a comb”, by Paulo Mendes Campos:
I come home with my combs and hand them out. Two for you, four for you – according to your temperament and distraction. I let everyone know that I'm going to put one in the bedroom closet, one in the bathroom, one on each nightstand, two in my drawer. Once this ostensible operation is completed, I am malicious and stealthy; secretly, I'm hiding other combs in all the nooks and crannies, under the mattress, on top of a piece of furniture, behind the copy of the Poetic Sighs and Longings. Then I solemnly gather the whole family, Poppy included, pull out of my pocket a unique comb, the most ordinary one you can find in the square, and say, “This is my comb; this nobody uses; in this one, under no pretext, no one touches! Is everyone in agreement? Or does any of those present wish to object?" They are all in agreement.
Excerpt from the chronicle “My kingdom for a comb”, by Paulo Mendes Campos
Know more about: Chronicle.
witness narrator
if the narrator participates in the story, but as a secondary character, receives the name of witness narrator or homodiegetic.
This type of narrator, although he is a character in the narrative, is not at the center of the events and is mainly dedicated to narrating the protagonist's actions. Therefore, your knowledge of facts is limited to what you see, hear, or know about. He can also speculate on what other characters are thinking. You can narrate in first and third person.
This is the case of the stories of detective Sherlock Holmes, narrated by his assistant, Dr. Watson:
One of Sherlock Holmes's faults - if we can really call him a fault - was his extreme reluctance to communicate the entirety of their plans to anyone else until the moment of run them. This no doubt came in part from her authoritarian nature, which she liked to dominate and surprise those around her. Partly, too, from his professional prudence, which urged him never to take any risks. The result, however, was exasperating to those who acted as his agents and assistants. I have suffered from it many times, but never as much as during that long trolley ride in the dark. The great trial was before us; at last we were about to make our final effort, but Holmes said nothing, and I could only guess how his action would unfold. My nerves throbbed with anxiety when at last the cold wind on our faces and the dark spaces and empty spaces on either side of the narrow road let me know we were back on the moor again. Every step of the horses and every turn of the wheels brought us closer to our ultimate adventure.
Excerpt from the novel The Dog of the Baskerville, by Arthur Conan Doyle
See also the meaning of Plot.
intruder omniscient narrator
The intruding omniscient narrator is a observer narrator – In other words, he doesn't participate in the story as a character. He usually uses the third person and has unlimited knowledge of what goes on in the story, including the characters' minds, thoughts and psychological states.
What characterizes this type of narrator is the freedom to comment or criticize aspects of the narrative (digressions). This is the case, for example, of the romance Quincas Borba, by Machado de Assis, in which the narrator pauses to comment on the events:
No, my lady, this long day is not over yet; we don't know what happened between Sofia and Mulch after they all left. It may even be that you find better taste here than in the case of the hanged man. Have patience; is to come now to Santa Tereza again. The room is still lit, but by a gas burner; the others went out, and the last one was about to go out, when Mulch told the servant to wait a while inside. The woman was about to leave, the husband stopped her, she shivered.
Excerpt from the novel Quincas Borba, by Machado de Assis
Neutral omniscient narrator
The neutral omniscient narrator is a observer narrator – that is, does not participate in the story as a character and has unlimited knowledge about the characters. With this type of narrator, we readers know everything that goes on in the characters' heads.
However, unlike the intruding narrator, the neutral omniscient narrator does not intervene with comments (digressions) about what the characters think.
Those books—a hundred at most—were old companions whom she picked at random, to savor a morsel here, and another there, in the course of the night.
She lay down in her clothes, loosening her clothes to be at ease.
She took the first book her hand could reach, made a pile of pillows in the corner of the bed, close to the light, and, propping her elbow on them, idly opened the volume.
It was an old Polish story, a Sienkiewicz novel, telling stories of heroism, rebellion, and guerrilla warfare.
Conceição leafed through it slowly, rereading familiar passages, love scenes, duels, campaign episodes. She dropped it, took the others—a volume of verse, a French novel by Coulevain.
And when he put them back on the table, she complained:
— This bookcase is very poor! I know almost everything decorated!Excerpt from the novel O Quinze, by Rachel de Queiroz
See too:
- omniscient narrator
- meaning of narrative
- Narrative text
- Narrative Text Characteristics