The narrative voices with which authors talk to
their readers can have different degrees of knowledge: omniscient or limited.
1. OMNISCIENT: This can be
a total knowledge about everything
2. LIMITED:
A. If a narrative voice is a character in a story,
the voice would be limited to what that character could know.
B. If the author does not wish the narrative voice
to tell the reader everything, the author can limit what information is told to the
reader.
#1. Omniscient:
Authors never select a totally omniscient narrative
voice. There is always some limiting. Otherwise, the author could never get his story
told, because he would have to tell his reader what each character, even dogs and
goldfish, are thinking and doing at all times. Usually, when an author uses a limited
omniscient narrative voice, the thoughts of just one or two of the characters are given.
