the child's perspective and POV
Posted by Barbara on October 01, 1997 at 23:05:08:
In response to Immersion, written by Laraine on October 01, 1997 at 15:38:32
] I agree, Amy and Barbara. I think we're supposed to be completely immersed in Jane's world and not really be able to see anything else. And it works really well. No other book just grabs me and drags me in like this one does. Before long, I start looking at my life from Jane's perspective!
I think another important advantage of the first person here is that the novel begins during her childhood, and as a child her perspective is not what that of an adult would be.
Many of the things that happen to her as a child "scar her for life" so to speak. For a child to think she has seen a ghost or whatever is different than if an adult tells us she saw a ghost or imagined that she did. Whether she saw one or not doesn't matter--she believes she did. Whether or not she was mistreated at her school (she was!) doesn't matter, because from her perspective, she was.
I am reading a book now with a much more omniscient point of view (Evening Class by Maeve Binchy), and it is quite a contrast to be able to get inside of so many of the character's heads that way. It obviously would not work for Jane Eyre, because we couldn't exactly have Rochester thinking "I hope she doesn't hear my wife banging about upstairs", etc..
But it made me realize more clearly than ever also that Jane Austen really doesn't go head-hopping in her characters either. We are seeing most things filtered through the consciousness of the heroine as she is at that time, or we are told much more about her thoughts and motivations than any other character's.
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