Narrative and Narrator An Analysis of Joseph Andrews Essay

Narrative and Narrator: An Analysis of Joseph Andrews As the novel was coalescing into a distinct form of literary expression, Henry Fielding introduced a dynamic relationship between the reader and the text by developing the role of the narrator and the narrators responsibility in shaping the overall structure of the work. His narrative creation would become a tradition explored by modern writers. By establishing the narrator as an intermediary, the narrator was free to create and comment upon characters, actions, and situations. Fielding could conceal his ideas with metaphors and fictional examples as well as with the narrator himself. Though some have criticized Fieldings work for lacking a definitive narrative†¦show more content†¦While it may be impossible to determine the authentic intentions of Fielding, the ideological agenda of the narrator can be examined as it becomes the focus of the work. Fielding stresses an element of self discovery or self reflexivity through the narrator. Knitted into the fictional framework of the novel is an open discussion between reader and narrator. Usually placed at the beginning of each Book, the narrator discusses topics including biographies, the purpose of nobility, and the division of chapters in books (Fielding 14, 70, 145). The narrator uses such commentary as a means of de-mystification and an exercise in reflection and self awareness (Gossman 308). These digressions are designed to make the reader conscious of the act of reading. The narrator gives us not only a story to read, but also a lecture on how to read and interpret his novel (Bartschi 70). The narrator posits his work within a rich and wide literary tradition and will not allow the reader to confuse it with reality. Reality does influence and create fiction, but fiction remains separate. Being the keen observer though, the narrator does connect his fictional ta le to the world of actual experience. These are Pictures which must be, I believe, known; I declareShow MoreRelatedComparative Analysis of Point of View of Joseph Andrews and Emma1145 Words   |  5 PagesComparative Analysis of Point of View of Joseph Andrews and Emma Point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers â€Å"hear† and â€Å"see† what takes place in a story. In this essay, the point of view of Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding and Emma by Jane Austen will be analyzed in comparison to one another. The comparison will be made on each aspect of the point of view, such as subjective/objective, partial/impartial narration and the perspectives through which the pointRead MoreEssay on Analyis of Knowledge of a Possibility by JUllary Putnam2603 Words   |  11 Pagesbut also conserves characteristics of classic genres of epics and romances. These contrasting styles can be seen notably in Journal of the Plague Year (1722) by Daniel Defoe, and Joseph Andrews (1742) by Henry Fielding respectively. In the context of these author’s respective works, the intrusiveness of Fielding’s narrator along with his relatively artificial characters and plot, ultimately makes the work less realistic by the standards of Formal Realism and by contrast, Defoe’s first person narrationRead MoreGender Role In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darknes s Essay1430 Words   |  6 PagesGender Role In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness For the most part people who read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad may feel that the novella is strictly a story of exploration and racial discrimination. But to Johanna Smith who wrote â€Å"’Too Beautiful Altogether’: Ideologies of Gender and Empire in Heart of Darkness† it is much more than that. Johanna Smith along with Wallace Watson and Rita A. Bergenholtz agree that throughout Heart of Darkness there are tones of gender prejudice, but the wayRead MoreThe Rise of the Novels in the Eighteenth Century4179 Words   |  17 PagesFielding gave shape to the new form some work had already been done by numerous other writers, which helped the pioneers to some extent. Mention must here be made of Swift, Defoe, Addison, and Steele. Swift inGullivers Travels  gave an interesting narrative, and, in spite of the obvious impossibility of the action and incidents, created an effect of verisimilitude which was to be an important characteristic of the novel. The Coverl ey papers of Addison and Steele were in themselves a kind of rudimentary