Narrative voice — English definition
The distinct personality, perspective, and attitude of whoever is telling the story.
Where it is taught
- Characterization & Narrative Technique — Close Reading & Literary Analysis, English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory, Grade 11
In use
Narrative voice is the distinct personality and attitude of the teller, and it colors everything you are allowed to see.
Characterization & Narrative Technique
Questions using narrative voice
Problem 1
A narrator repeatedly insists he is 'the most honest man you'll ever meet' while calmly describing the small lies he tells to get ahead. The narrative voice most likely functions to…
- prove the narrator is completely trustworthy
- characterize the narrator ironically, revealing a self-deception he does not see
- confirm that the author shares the narrator's view
- signal that the story has no theme
Answer and explanation
characterize the narrator ironically, revealing a self-deception he does not see
The gap between the narrator's claim of honesty and his described dishonesty creates dramatic irony that characterizes him as self-deceived — a classic unreliable narrator effect.