narrator
Person or voice telling a story
The person or voice that tells the story in a book, movie, or other show.
the/a narrator of [a book/film/story]
- The narrator describes the town in rich, poetic detail.
- In the documentary, the narrator explains the science behind the experiment.
- The film uses a child narrator to make the story feel more personal.
- As the chapter begins, the narrator shifts from the past to the present.
- The narrator tells us what happens in the book.
- At the start of the movie, the narrator speaks about the city.
- The narrator has a deep, calm voice.
- The narrator of the story is an old man.
Narrative voice as a literary device
The special voice or "person" inside a story that tells us what happens, which is not always the same as the real writer.
an [adjective] narrator in [a novel/story]
- The novel's unreliable narrator forces the reader to question every event.
- By choosing a child narrator, the author creates a sense of innocence and confusion.
- The first-person narrator never reveals his real name, which adds mystery.
- An omniscient narrator allows the story to move smoothly between characters' inner thoughts.
- In this book, the narrator is not the author.
- The narrator in the story may lie to the reader.
- The teacher asked us if we trust the narrator.
- This story uses a first-person narrator who says "I".
first-person narrator
1Narrator who speaks as “I”
A narrator who tells the story using "I" or "we" and is a character in the story.
- The novel uses a first-person narrator to create intimacy.
- With a first-person narrator, the reader only knows what that character knows.
- The teacher asked us to rewrite the scene with a first-person narrator.
omniscient narrator
1All-knowing third-person narrator
A third-person narrator who knows everything in the story, including all characters' thoughts and secret actions.
- An omniscient narrator can explain the history of the entire world in a few paragraphs.
- The novel begins with an omniscient narrator but later narrows to one character's mind.
- Writers today often avoid an omniscient narrator to create a more limited, realistic view.
third-person narrator
1Outside narrator using “he/she/they”
A narrator who is not a character in the story and talks about the characters using "he", "she", or "they".
- Most classic novels are told by a third-person narrator.
- A third-person narrator can move quickly between different places and characters.
- The story shifts from a first-person to a third-person narrator in the final chapter.
unreliable narrator
1Narrator who cannot be trusted
A narrator who does not tell the story in a fully true or clear way, so the reader cannot fully trust what they say.
- The twist ending reveals that the book has an unreliable narrator.
- An unreliable narrator makes the reader work harder to find the real story.
- Film critics praised the use of an unreliable narrator to create suspense.
unreliable narrator
1storyteller you cannot fully trust
A narrator who may not tell the truth or may be wrong.
- The novel uses an unreliable narrator, so the reader has to question every detail.
- Halfway through the film, you realize the narrator has been unreliable all along.
voice-over narrator
1Narrator speaking over images
A person whose voice we hear explaining or telling a story while we watch pictures in a film or video.
- The documentary relies on a voice-over narrator to connect the interviews.
- A voice-over narrator introduces each chapter of the series.
- They hired a famous actor to be the voice-over narrator for the commercial.