Writers use narrative perspective to shape the story, convey themes and engage readers. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen chooses a third-person, omniscient narrator to provide a detailed portrayal of characters and events in this comedy of manners. This type of narrator is external to the story, providing a broader perspective and reducing the influence of individual characters’ biases.
- The novel is narrated by a third-person omniscient narrator:
- The narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of characters and conveys these to the reader
- The narrator frequently adds commentary about characters, shaping the reader’s perception:
- For example, both Lydia and Catherine (Kitty) Bennet are described as “ignorant, idle and vain”
- However, even though the narrator has access to every character’s internal thoughts and feelings, events are usually told from Elizabeth’s point of view:
- The writer uses free indirect discourse as a narrative technique to present Elizabeth’s intimate thoughts or feelings
- By using third-person narration and free indirect discourse, Austen reveals how characters, including Elizabeth, make assumptions and errors in judgement (such as her initial impressions of Darcy and Wickham)
- The third-person narrator reminds readers that characters’ perceptions may not always be accurate
- Austen presents Elizabeth’s tendency to quickly form judgements and the narrative techniques mirror the major conflict she faces:
- The narrative perspective plays a role in reflecting the development of Elizabeth’s character as she tries to overcome her own prejudices and learns to change her initial judgements