4.

1 Introduction

© TALL
In this unit our primary goal is to investigate the
role of the storyteller within the story. How does
the perspective of the story’s narrator influence us
as readers? This week we shall look at:

• what a difference it makes to a story to see it from

the contrasting points of view of characters within
the story itself
• how you can organise the actual sequence of
events, situations, incidents or even reflections to
help establish a creditable viewpoint upon those
occurrences
• how a story changes when it is retold from a
contrasting viewpoint.
This week’s Required Reading is Charlotte
Perkins Gilman, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. As you
read this story, you should pay particular attention
to how the narrator’s point of view influences your
own perceptions.

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