Analysis of Third Person Narratives of Two Novels

Ask any author what the most important aspect of their work is (whether that be fiction or not) and they will all probably say the same four things: plot, setting, characters, and narration. This is also true for the three novels we have studied thus far in class: Vathek, The Castle of Otranto, and The Mysteries of Udolpho. The dark ‘gloomth’ setting, the larger-than-life characters, and the supernaturally centered plot lines all make these books Gothic novels, but how would one characterize the narrators? If there is anything that these three novels we have studied thus far have in common, it is that each of them have a third person narrator. Andrew Vachss, an American crime fiction author, once said that â€Å"The third person narrator,†¦show more content†¦3 ) Although, The Horse and His Boy is far from a Gothic novel, as it is actually a children’s novel, the similar introduction of the main characters strikes me as something that must be common amon g authors who use the Arabian setting for their works. This specific familial introduction of the particular character by the narrator suggests the nobility of the character and emphasizes that this is a character that we should know. While the opening descriptions of Vathek can be categorized as somewhat subjective, especially to the stereotypes of Arabia, The Castle of Otranto’s opening lines are objective. Walpole introduces the characters of the story as simply as possible. The narrator gives no bias to the characters, he just communicates facts such as that Matilda was a beautiful virgin and Conrad was sickly: Manfred, Prince of Otranto, had one son and one daughter; the latter, a most beautiful virgin, aged eighteen, was called Matilda. Conrad, the son, was three years younger, a homely youth, sickly, and of no promising disposition; yet he was the darling of his father, who never showed any symptoms of affection to Matilda (Walpole, 27). Unlike Vathek which conveys a message of dangerous magic right from the start, the narrator of The Castle of Otranto gives the reader a muchShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart, And The Heart Of Darkness1518 Words   |  7 Pageswill contain a critical analysis of two passages from Things Fall Apart, and the Heart of Darkness. I will compare and contrast the narrative structure, the language used and the themes explored. 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