Understanding the Third Person Limited Definition: A Comprehensive Guide
If you’re a writer or a literature enthusiast, you’ve probably come across the term “third person limited” before. However, do you really understand what it means? In this article, we’ll be taking a comprehensive look at the third person limited definition, including its meaning, examples of how to use it in writing, and its advantages.
What is the Third Person Limited Definition?
The third person limited point of view is a narrative style that describes the thoughts and feelings of a single character without using the first person pronoun “I.” It allows the reader to see events in a story through the eyes of a particular character, making the story more vivid and engaging by giving insights and perspective to one character.
The third person limited version of narration differs from the third person omniscient narration, where the perspective shifts between multiple characters, and the reader is aware of their every thought and emotion. In third person limited narration, the story is delivered through the experiences and thoughts of only one character.
Examples of Third Person Limited Narration
To understand how third person limited narration works, let’s look at some examples.
Example 1: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee
“I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson. If General Jackson hadn’t run the Creeks up the creek, Simon Finch would never have paddled up the Alabama, and where would we be if he hadn’t?”
Harper Lee used the character Scout’s perspective to narrate the story, showing only what she sees and thinks. The reader won’t know anything that Scout doesn’t know.
Example 2: ‘Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets’ by J.K Rowling
“Harry felt as though he’d just been woken from a deep sleep. There were several people standing in front of him, wearing cloaks of midnight blue. He blinked and the woman with the hazel eyes was suddenly looking at him.”
In Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the third person limited narration is used to focus the story on the protagonist, Harry Potter. We get to see the events of the story and how Harry reacts to them through his eyes.
The Advantages of Third Person Limited Narration
There are several advantages to using third person limited narration in writing:
1. It makes the readers relate to one character more, which is the protagonist.
2. It assists writers in building suspense and tension since readers only know what the protagonist knows.
3. Writers can delve deeper into the mind and emotions of the protagonist, allowing readers to understand different points of view that they wouldn’t otherwise get in first-person.
Conclusion
The third person limited definition allows both writers and readers to gain an intimate understanding of a single character’s inner thoughts and emotions. By limiting the narration to one character’s perspective, it allows stories to be more focused, making it easier for readers to connect with and immerse themselves in the story. Whether you’re writing your novel or reading someone else’s, understanding third person limited narration can help you connect to characters and worlds in new and meaningful ways.
