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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Notable narrators

2014-09-21-Columnists-6-copy
Helen Schmidt

Happy last day of classes, dear readers! It’s been a whirlwind of a semester, and I hope you’ve found a calm solace in books to get you through it like I have. I was inspired this past week to revisit some of my favorite novels that feature exceptionally strong narrators. These books have narrators who aren’t necessarily likeable or who serve as an inspiration, but I am fascinated by their choices and how their respective authors crafted them into such specifically defined individuals. A narrator is everything because they are the reader's eyes and ears into the world of the novel. Without their recollections and experiences, the story is no more than a series of events without any meaning attached.

Beginning with one of the scariest narrators I’ve encountered, Bret Easton Ellis’s “American Psycho” (1991)follows the successful Wall Street broker Patrick Bateman. Bateman's charm and charisma make him a magnet for admiration by his coworkers and friends, but his dark urges for destruction and murder make his true nature unbearably unsettling. “American Psycho” is not a book I read frequently, but it is so unique that I can’t help but pick it up again and again. Bateman disturbingly reminds me of people I’ve met, making me dubious of the intentions of those around me. How can someone who seems so genuine have such a dark side? Be careful not to let Bateman’s thoughts stick for too long in your head. Once they’re there, it’s hard to ignore their haunting words.

Next up is a narrator both despised and loved: Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” (1951). A lot of people are introduced to Holden when "Catcher" is assigned as a required book in school, at a time when his words can make all the difference. For me, my first time reading “Catcher” was when I finally understood the separation between the genuine friends I wanted to have and the "phonies," as Holden calls them, who inevitably fill every corner of our lives. His frustrations tinge the story with an adolescent attitude, but the messages aren’t limited to those under a certain age.However irritating, whiny or selfish Holden may be, he sees people for who they really are. Holden can’t stand living among those whose lives are a show put on for others, and Salinger encourages his readers to also open their eyes a bit wider and see the truth.

Charlotte Brönte’s “Jane Eyre” (1847) provides a more inspiring narrator than those discussed above; the book follows the titular narrator Jane as she grows up a miserable orphan and begins work as a governess in the infamous Thornfield Hall. Jane is a solitary, thoughtful individual who follows her instincts and trusts few. She realizes she can only rely on herself to make her life as worthwhile as she wants it to be. Her situation is anything but ideal, but her mindful resilience allows her to find the freedom she craves and to eventually learn how to trust others.  Jane Eyre is one of the strongest female narrators I’ve had the pleasure of reading. She takes the curveballs life throws at her one step at a time while staying true to her values along the way.

Strong narrators are often more than simple characters in a story. They give deeper insight into the storyline than a secondary character would, showing readers the world of the book through a filter of the narrator’s thoughts and past experiences. The story is nothing without the shadows of these narrators fleshing out each word from start to finish, giving readers a direct and insightful connection with characters, their decisions and the events that follow.

I hope you all have a good summer. Happy reading!