Narrative Choices Narrative Viewpoint and Voice When we read, we “see” images in our mind and “hear” a voice in our heads. Writers can choose whose “eyes” we see through and whose “voice” we hear telling the story. Read the extracts on the next 2 slides and decide: Whose eyes do we see through? What does their voice sound like? How do you react?

In Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Damian hides the stolen money in the loft in his old house, which he thinks is empty…. I was just pushing the lower half of the ladder back up when I heard it. There was someone at the front door. I held my breath. It was OK. They couldn’t get in. I slid my hand into my pocket to make sure the key was still there. It wasn’t. I’d left it in the front door. I could hear it turning in the lock now. I raced back up the ladder and hauled it after me. When I reached down to pull the hatch back up, I could hear someone coming up the stairs. I quickly pulled the hatch back into place and scrabbled over to the water tank, holding my breath. Elicit from students: Damian telling the story: all events seen from his viewpoint. Mention/highlight: first person narrator (I…my..). Emphasis on Damian’s feelings/senses/thoughts (I heard it..held my breath…I could hear..) Voice sounds nervous and frightened, in a panic. You could mention/highlight: sequence of short sentences; repetition of subject+verb constructions and strength of verbs: I held my breath..I slid my hand…I raced back up…hauled…I reached down…scrabbled over. Reader thinks/feels: excited, tense, wants to keep reading, anxious that Damian – and the money – aren’t discovered.

In The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo, the story starts with a flashback to a terrible event… Sade is slipping her English book into her schoolbag when Mama screams. Two sharp cracks splinter the air. She hears her father’s fierce cry, rising, falling. “No! No!” The revving of a car and skidding of tyres smother his voice. Her bag topples from the bed, spilling books, pen and pencil to the floor. She races to the verandah, pushing past Femi in the doorway. His body is wooden with fright. “Mama mi?” she whispers. Papa is kneeling in the driveway, Mama partly curled up against him. One bare leg stretches out in front of her. His strong hands grip her, trying to halt the growing scarlet monster. But it has already spread down her bright white nurse’s uniform. It stains the earth around them. A few seconds, that is all. Later, it will always seem much longer. Elicit from students: Third person narrator, observing the scene but not directly involved (Sade is..she…her) Four characters mentioned but most attention given to Sade – we mostly see events through her eyes and she is obviously the main character in the story. Last sentence lets us know that Sade often thinks back to this event. Use of italics helps mark it out as an important memory. Narrative voice sounds frantic, desperate, tense. You could highlight: use of present tense (is slipping..hears..topples); use of –ing verbs and nouns to stress fast action (revving, skidding, spilling, kneeling, growing); sparing use of dialogue; vocabulary connected with fear/violence (fierce, cry, splinter, cracks, fright, grip, stains).

Here is the voice of Tommo as an eighteen-year-old soldier: In Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, the narrator is Tommo, Charlie’s brother. He tells the story in flashback, looking back over his life with his brother, who faces a firing squad in the First World War. Here is the voice of Tommo as an eighteen-year-old soldier: I want to try to remember everything, just as it was, just as it happened. I’ve had nearly eighteen years of yesterdays and tomorrows, and tonight I must remember as many of them as I can. I want tonight to be long, long as my life, not filled with fleeting dreams that rush me on towards dawn. And here is the voice of Tommo as a child starting school: Charlie is taking me by the hand, leading me because he knows I don’t want to go. I’ve never worn a collar before and it’s choking me. My boots are strange and heavy on my feet. My heart is heavy too, because I dread what I am going to. Charlie has told me often how terrible this school-place is: about Mr Munnings and his raging tempers and the long whipping cane he hangs on the wall above his desk. I don’t want to go with Charlie. I don’t want to go to school. You could highlight: First person and present tense used in both – helps to keep the viewpoint of narrator constant as novel alternates between “real time” of novel, at the Front, and flashbacks to brothers’ early life. Different voices created: adult Tommo is more reflective, aware, and language he uses is more crafted and sophisticated e.g. use of rhetorical repetition (just as it was, just as it happened; yesterdays and tomorrows, and tonight; long, long as my life) Voice of child: simple vocabulary; childlike repetition (I don’t want to…my boots are strange..my heart is heavy); vivid imagination – he’s believed Charlie’s stories about “how terrible this school-place is” and about Mr Munnings’ tempers and cane.

So, writers can choose…. First person narrative: Charlie is taking me by the hand. I don’t want to go to school. Third person narrative: Sade is slipping her English book into her schoolbag when Mama screams.

…… Past tense: There was someone at the front door. I held my breath. Present tense: My boots are strange and heavy on my feet.

Writers can tell a story… In the order in which events happen Through flashback to events that happened earlier From one viewpoint or more than one

To think about: What are some advantages of telling a story in the first person? What are some disadvantages? Why might you choose the present tense to tell a story?

To try: Charlie is taking me by the hand, leading me because he knows I don’t want to go. I’ve never worn a collar before and it’s choking me. My boots are strange and heavy on my feet. My heart is heavy too, because I dread what I am going to. Charlie has told me often how terrible this school-place is: about Mr Munnings and his raging tempers and the long whipping cane he hangs on the wall above his desk. I don’t want to go with Charlie. I don’t want to go to school. CHANGE Present tense to past tense First person to third person Write this scene from Mr Munnings’ viewpoint, as he watches Charlie dragging Tommo to school. Which version do you like the best?