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As you read in the title, there are
three types of limited third-person. The most common one is third-person
limited. It is much like first-person as the story is told from one person’s
point of view. The author is limited to the inside of one person’s head and
cannot include information that the focus character doesn’t know. In this pov,
the author (who is the true narrator) cannot tell the reader things that the
character doesn’t know. If your character doesn’t think he is humble, then that
insight would not be included.
The biggest difference between third-limited and first-person
is that a story told in first-person must be told through the mouth of the
narrating character. The language of the narrator (the character from whose pov
we see the world) is the language used in the story. In third-person, the
narrator (the author) may tell the story in whatever language he or she wants
to use. This means that even if your main character is a rural woman working on
her GED, you can describe her life and her feelings in the most elevated,
articulate language you can manage. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike is a story about a former basketball player who is
neither extremely intelligent nor articulate. Updike uses this point of view so
we see the world as Rabbit (the main character) does, but his experiences are
filtered through Updike’s beautiful language. In some places, Updike blends his
voice with that of Rabbit, giving the reader a more enhanced sense of intimacy.
This type of point of view has many of the advantage and disadvantages of first
person. The reader is able to get very close to one character, but we are also
limited in knowledge and experience to one person’s perception
Serial
limited third-person is a variation on this technique. It is just like limited
third-person, but the pov moves from one character to another. Margaret
Attwood’s short story “Uglypuss” uses this technique, allowing the reader to
see a lover’s quarrel from both characters’ point of views. Using this pov can
free the author to get inside many different character’s heads without
confusing readers. If characters with very different views of the world
populate your story, this may be a good choice. The only downfall is by reducing the time a reader spends
with each viewpoint, you risk lessening a reader’s sense of intimacy with the
characters.
The
final variation on third-person is third-person objective. Perhaps the most
difficult of all the povs to master, in third-person objective the author makes
absolutely no judgments and stays outside the heads of all the characters. Even
small comments like, “he was handsome,” should be avoided, since they are
telling instead of showing. His manly beauty could be shown in the reactions of
the females at his job or his comments to a friend. This technique is like
watching a film or a play. The audience must ascertain the feelings and
thoughts of the characters solely through action and dialogue. While most
authors do not choose to regularly use this type of point of view, it is an
excellent exercise in learning how to show and not tell. For an example, read
“Hills like White Elephants,” by Hemmingway.
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