6. Speak on the role of narrator.

My Son the Murderer

Under the Net

Summary of the story:

The story was written by Bernard Malamud and tells us about a young boy who was going at the war and already suffered because he knew he had to become a murder and to kill people. His father and other relatives worried about the boy and tried to help him.

The novel is written by Iris Murdoch and tells us about Jake Donahue’s humorous adventures, he tries to find his way in this life, returning back to his previous life experience and memories.

Narration:

The story is 3^rd person narration – objective with limited omniscient (penetration into the mind, inner worlds of the character) and with indirect insertions by 1^st person participant narrator.

The author gives us different versions of the events changing the narrator. We can see and feel the son’s sufferings, and the father’s concern about his son’s behavior. The information is presented through the eyes of the main characters even deeper when some parts of the story are told from the 1^st person participant narration. Then the narrator reveals the characters’ thoughts and sufferings. Also this type of narration helps to deepen the reader’s understanding of the story.

The novel is told from the 1^st person point of view and allows the reader access to the inner world of the protagonist.

The dialogues and descriptions play an important role in the story and the 1^st person narration increases the immediacy and freshness of impression.

The inner world of the character is in the focus of great interest. Jake spends his life doing little of work, because he doesn’t believe in his talent of a writer. He lives in different places for free and doesn’t burden himself with any responsibilities of relationship. It should be mentioned that Jake is a wise person, he realizes his not being perfect in many things, but he wants to improve and doesn’t deny its importance for him. It is not in his nature to make himself responsible for other people, because he is not responsible even for himself. He is like a parasite, hates living in a strange house, because he loves to be protected. His nature is contradictive. Probably that’s why it’s difficult for him to be more invariable in his intentions and actions.

During the whole story the narrator confides his personal thoughts to the reader. We perceive the world of the novel through the eyes of the main character.

In both the stories the events are shown through the main characters’ perception and the reader is made to pronounce his own judgments. Both the story and the novel are a deep psychological analysis and a study of actions and events. This point of view brings a personal touch to the story and the novel and it lets us to feel an emotional connection with a character.

Conclusion (summing up and personal impression):

The point of view in both the stories exposes the reader to the thoughts of realizing our place in this life, the problem of choice, improving ourselves to the best and staying those people who we are indeed.