6.4 The effect of narrative tone and bias on reading

The Effect of Narrative Tone and Bias on Reading

Introduction

The perspective or point of view of an individual is powerful because it influences decision-making, perceptions, and interactions. In literature, the perspective of a speaker is critical for revealing emphases, biases, and key details in a text. These elements shape how readers interpret the story, influencing their emotions, expectations, and personal connections to the narrative.

The tone of the speaker or narrator towards characters, events, or themselves allows readers to extract meaning and significance from literature. The way a sentence is structured, the diction used, and the syntax can all contribute to a tone that affects the reader’s perception.

Beyond tone, the perspective of a character or narrator can also be examined through the lens of bias. Recognizing bias in a narrator’s perspective is crucial because it helps readers determine whether the narrator is reliable or unreliable, significantly impacting how the audience processes the events in a story.

In this article, we will explore the effect of narrative tone and bias on reading, focusing on how tone shapes reader perception, the role of narrative bias in storytelling, and the ways in which writers develop tone and bias through diction and syntax.

Narrators & Reading Bias

Understanding the Power of the Narrator’s Tone

When analyzing the effect of a narrator’s tone and perspective (including possible biases), readers must closely examine the narrative elements that shape the speaker’s intentions and attitudes.

In previous discussions, we have explored how writers use literary techniques to create meaning. In this section, we will delve into how tone and bias influence character development and reader engagement.

Tone plays a vital role in shaping a reader’s reaction to a text. Some narrators have an objective, neutral tone, while others adopt sarcastic, passionate, formal, or critical tones that influence how readers respond to the narrative. The tone of a passage can determine whether a reader trusts the narrator, questions their credibility, or feels a strong emotional reaction to the events being described.

For example, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the narrative tone is witty, satirical, and ironic. This tone helps to critique the social norms and gender expectations of the time while making the novel both engaging and reflective. Had Austen adopted a more serious tone, the novel would have felt vastly different.

Key Questions to Analyze Tone:

When examining tone, readers should ask themselves:

1. Who is the speaker? What is their background, and how does it influence their tone?

2. What is the setting? Does the environment or historical context shape the narrator’s attitude?

3. What emotions does the narrative convey? Is the tone humorous, melancholic, formal, or aggressive?

4. How does word choice (diction) reflect tone? Does the author use sophisticated, crude, exaggerated, or poetic language?

5. What is omitted from the story? Does the narrator choose to exclude certain details, and how does that omission influence bias?

By answering these questions, readers can better understand the effect of narrative tone on their interpretation of a story.

Narrative Bias: How a Narrator’s Perspective Shapes Meaning

Bias in a narrative refers to the subjectivity of the narrator—how their beliefs, emotions, and experiences shape the way they tell a story. A biased narrator does not present a completely objective version of events, which means readers must interpret the story with an awareness of the narrator’s potential distortions.

Recognizing Narrative Bias

Bias can be identified by looking at:

1. Language Choices – Does the narrator use emotionally charged words that suggest a strong opinion about characters or events?

2. Selective Storytelling – Does the narrator leave out important details or highlight specific events disproportionately?

3. Judgmental Descriptions – Does the narrator describe some characters favorably while presenting others negatively?

4. Reliability of Information – Can the reader trust the narrator’s version of events, or are they misleading the audience?

Examples of Narrative Bias in Literature

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – The narrator, Nick Carraway, presents himself as an objective observer, yet his personal biases towards Gatsby and the upper class influence how he tells the story.

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – The unreliable narrators, Nelly Dean and Mr. Lockwood, both tell their own versions of the story, shaping the reader’s understanding of Heathcliff and Catherine based on their personal views.

• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov – The narrator, Humbert Humbert, presents a manipulative, self-serving version of his actions, requiring the reader to read between the lines to uncover the truth.

How Writers Develop Tone and Bias

Diction (Word Choice) and Tone

The words an author chooses significantly shape tone. Consider the following examples:

• Positive Tone: “The sun shone brightly, casting a golden hue over the lush green fields.”

• Neutral Tone: “The sun was in the sky, illuminating the fields.”

• Negative Tone: “The sun’s glare was blinding, its heat scorching the withered grass.”

In each sentence, the word choice changes the reader’s perception of the setting.

Syntax (Sentence Structure) and Bias

The way sentences are structured can reinforce bias. Consider these examples:

• Unbiased Statement: “The president made a policy change that affected the economy.”

• Biased Statement: “The reckless president imposed an economic policy that devastated the nation.”

The second sentence adds subjective judgment, influencing how readers interpret the event.

Narrative Perspective and Unreliable Narrators

Unreliable narrators intentionally or unintentionally mislead the reader, often due to:

• Personal prejudice (favoring one character over another)

• Distorted memories (presenting a flawed version of events)

• Psychological instability (experiencing hallucinations or delusions)

Conclusion

The effect of narrative tone and bias on reading is profound, shaping how readers interpret literature and engage with characters. By analyzing diction, syntax, and perspective, readers can determine a narrator’s tone, identify biases, and evaluate reliability.