Subjectivity

Definition

Subjectivity refers to the way personal feelings, thoughts, and opinions influence a person's perception of reality. In storytelling, it plays a vital role as it affects how a narrative is experienced by the reader, particularly through point of view, which can shape the emotional and intellectual responses of the audience to characters and events.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Subjectivity is crucial in determining how readers connect with characters; the more subjective a narrative, the more personal the experience can become.
2. First-person point of view is often associated with high levels of subjectivity since it presents a story through the narrator's direct experiences and feelings.
3. Third-person limited perspective can also convey subjectivity, allowing insight into one character's thoughts while maintaining some distance from others.
4. The emotional resonance of a story can vary greatly based on how subjectivity is employed; it can create tension or deep connection with the audience.
5. Authors often manipulate subjectivity through unreliable narrators, challenging readers' assumptions and pushing them to question the nature of truth within the story.

Review Questions

• How does subjectivity enhance a reader's connection to characters within a story?
  • Subjectivity enhances a reader's connection to characters by allowing them to experience events through personal perspectives, fostering empathy and emotional engagement. When readers gain insight into a character's thoughts and feelings, they are more likely to understand their motivations and struggles. This deeper understanding encourages readers to invest emotionally in the characters' journeys.
• Discuss how different points of view utilize subjectivity to shape a narrative's emotional impact.
  • Different points of view utilize subjectivity in unique ways to shape a narrative's emotional impact. In first-person narration, readers are directly placed inside a character's mind, experiencing their thoughts and emotions intimately. In contrast, third-person limited narration offers glimpses into one character’s perspective while maintaining some distance from others. Both approaches affect how readers perceive events and relationships, ultimately influencing their overall emotional response.
• Evaluate the role of unreliable narrators in manipulating subjectivity and its implications for readers' understanding of truth in narratives.
  • Unreliable narrators play a significant role in manipulating subjectivity by presenting distorted or biased accounts of events. This approach forces readers to engage critically with the text, questioning the validity of what they are told. As readers navigate between subjective perceptions and objective reality, they must piece together the truth from conflicting perspectives, enhancing their analytical skills and deepening their appreciation for narrative complexity.

Related terms

Point of View: The vantage point from which a story is narrated, influencing how the reader interprets the characters' motivations and experiences.

Narrative Voice: The distinct personality and style through which a story is told, which can enhance or alter the subjectivity of the narrative.

Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another, which can be deeply influenced by the subjective nature of a character's perspective in a story.