Narrator facts for kids
A narrator is like the storyteller of a book, movie, or even a play. This person (or sometimes a character) tells you what is happening. They help you understand the story and what the characters are doing or thinking.
Narrators can be real people, like someone telling you a story face-to-face. They can also be made-up characters inside a story. When a character in the story is also the one telling it, they are often called the viewpoint character. This means you see the story through their eyes.
Every story has three main parts:
- The author: This is the person who created the story. They live in the real world.
- The narrator: This is the voice that tells the story. They usually exist only inside the story's world.
- The audience: This is you! You listen to or read the story and try to understand it.
The author's job is to invent the story's world, its people, and all the events. The audience's job is to listen and make sense of the story. The narrator's job is to present the story in a way that the audience can easily follow and enjoy. Sometimes, in non-fiction (like a history book), the narrator and the author might be the same person. This is because they are both talking about the real world.
Contents
What is a Narrator?
A narrator is the voice that guides you through a story. Think of them as your personal tour guide for the world of the story. They decide what information you get and when you get it. This helps you follow the plot and understand the characters.
Why Narrators are Important
Narrators are super important because they control how you experience a story. They can tell you about things that happened in the past, what characters are thinking, or even what will happen in the future. Without a narrator, a story might just be a list of events without much meaning. They add feeling and depth to what you are reading or watching.
Different Kinds of Narrators
There are many types of narrators, and they each tell a story in a unique way.
First-Person Narrator
A first-person narrator is a character inside the story. They use words like "I" and "me." It's like they are talking directly to you about their own experiences. For example, if a character says, "I walked to the store," that's a first-person narrator. You only know what this character knows or sees.
Third-Person Narrator
A third-person narrator is outside the story. They use words like "he," "she," and "they." This type of narrator can tell you about many different characters and events. They are like an invisible observer.
There are two main types of third-person narrators:
- Third-person limited: This narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character. They still use "he" or "she," but they stick close to one character's point of view.
- Third-person omniscient: This narrator knows everything! They know what all the characters are thinking and feeling, and they know all the events that are happening everywhere in the story. "Omniscient" means "all-knowing."
Unreliable Narrator
Sometimes, a narrator might not tell you the whole truth, or they might not understand everything correctly. This is called an unreliable narrator. They might be confused, trying to trick you, or simply have a different view of things. This can make a story very interesting because you have to figure out what is really going on!
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A robot can also be a narrator in a story.
