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Reading Prose Fiction
Quick questions on Narrative point of view explained: N(A)-Level Literature in English
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is first-person narration?Show answer
A first-person narrator uses "I" and is a character inside the story. We see only what they see and know only what they know. This creates closeness and lets us into one person's thoughts and feelings. But it is one-sided: the narrator may be biased, may not understand everything, or may even be lying.
What is third-person narration?Show answer
A third-person narrator uses "he", "she" and "they" and stands outside the story. There are two common kinds you should know:
What is the narrator can be unreliable?Show answer
Sometimes a writer makes us doubt the narrator on purpose. An unreliable narrator might insist too much on their honesty, contradict themselves, or blame everyone else. When you sense this, the meaning lives in the gap between what the narrator says and what you work out for yourself. Spotting an unreliable narrator is a high-value skill.
What is q1?Show answer
What is one strength and one weakness of a first-person narrator? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
What is the difference between an all-knowing and a limited third-person narrator? [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
What signs might tell you a first-person narrator is unreliable? [3 marks]
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