By: Kyle Cubr and Kristina Ramsdell

The Role of the Author When it comes to addressing characters and plot

specifics, an author can take on the role of a “commentator” or that of an “impartial witness”

This can be thought of as one being an observer (impartial witness) and the other an active participant (commentator).

Which one would you guess is more common in modern day literature?

“The Commentator” “the author created the character of a commentator to

speak for him or herself and artfully sustained that character’s voice throughout the novel” (pg. 161 Lit)

This type of participation in a novel was most commonly found in Victorian novels and has seemed to lose popularity over the years.

“The Commentator” By interrupting the story to give specifics not known

before, these authors either use themselves or a “cheery” narrator to help set the tone or place of the story

These specifics usually can be boiled down into 3 different categories

Remarks on action

Philosophical asides

Explanations of procedures to be followed in telling the story

“The Impartial Witness”

Don’t let the name fool you!!

These authors are not impartial to their characters but to the way in which they offer them to the reader

This means the author creates characters and writes in such a way that the reader will grow to respect or even like a character the further they read

the reader is allowed to come to their own conclusion on what they think of the character, but are introduced to the fictional being in such a way that it is hard not to like them

This is a subconscious development by the reader

And a sort of art form of embedding fondness within the writing by the author

“The Impartial Witness” Anton Chekhov

Famous author who used “impartial” methods to write

Believed a writers role was not to judge a character

Instead introduced characters in a way that induces sympathy or fondness

Class Discussion An excerpt from Chekhov’s short story “In Exile”

“The Tartar was worn out and ill, and wrapping himself in his rags, he talked about how good it was in the province of Simbirsk, and what a beautiful and clever wife he had left at home. He was not more than twenty-five, and in the firelight his pale, sickly face and woebegone expression made him seem like a boy.”

Class Discussion Reactions to the character? What feelings did you

experience for him after reading this?

Why?

What words specifically gave you this impression?

Does the author at any point say outright that the reader should feel this way? Or even say that the character is good or bad?

Tone The attitude toward a subject conveyed in a literary

work. No single stylistic device creates tone; it is the net result of the various elements an author brings to creating the work’s feeling and manner.

Whatever leads us to infer the author’s attitude (implies their feelings)

The author can use specific characters, events, situations, and words to bring the reader to this conclusion

Tone

The tone of a story can “set a mood” for a wide variety of human emotions

Anger, amusement, sadness, love, etc.

The overarching tone of a story can be different than that which is declared outright

Sometimes there can be two moods at once

One felt by the character and another by the author which is conveyed to the reader

ex: sadness expressed by a character, while the author finds it comical and portrays it in such a way

Style All the distinctive ways in which an author uses

language to create a literary work. An author’s style depends on his or her characteristic use of diction, imagery, tone, syntax, and figurative language.

individual traits or characteristics of a piece of writing

A pattern of how a writer uses words

Many authors have their own distinct style, at least the greater ones

A mode of expression