narrative voice

Question 1

what is narrative voice?

Answer 1

The perspective from which the story is told

Question 2

what narrative voice is used in Tess? (3)

Answer 2

Hardy adopts a third person omniscient voice
- an all-knowing narrator who exists outside of the story and delves into the characters minds
- objective voice which champions Tess throughout the novel

Question 3

how does Hardy present Tess through the narrative voice?

Answer 3

two perceptions
- innocent, child-like
- sexual, potentially provocative

perhaps foreshadowing her unwilling and premature descent into adulthood

Question 4

how does the narrative voice affect us as readers?

Answer 4

• makes us root for Tess

Question 5

what effect does the narrative voice have?

Answer 5

1) looks deep into the characters’ minds
2) The narrator is objective but has an omniscient understanding of future implications of characters’ actions as they happen.