The Age of Innocence: Chapters 28 - 34

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

• Have you ever heard two different people describe the same story and describe it differently?

For example, in court cases, witnesses who supposedly saw the same scene may describe it in court in entirely different ways. Who is talking matters because each person interprets events differently or may emphasize different aspects of a scene. In literature, we refer to the speaker as the narrator.

There are several different types of narrators that authors can choose to use when creating their stories. There are three types of voices: first person, second person, and third person, just like in conjugating verbs (I, you, he, she, it). There are then two ranges of viewpoints within each form of narrator: omniscient and limited. An omniscient narrator has access to all the thoughts and feelings of every character in a story, while a limited narrator has access to one or a few characters' thoughts and emotions.

1. To review the different types of narrators, explore Narrator: What is a Narrator? from Literary Terms.
2. Take notes in your notebook or journal on the types of narrators.
3. Think about stories that you have read. Try to identify a narrator from stories that you know for each type of narrator in your notes.

When you have successful reviewed the different types of narrators, read the final chapters of The Age of Innocence, which are Chapters Twenty-Eight through Thirty-Four. Use the same copy of the novel that you used for the previous lessons in the series. You can use a print copy or the online version of The Age of Innocence, from Project Gutenberg. As you read, notice the narration style that Wharton uses and make any notes on the narrative style that you find useful in helping you to identify the narrative type.

When you’ve finished the novel and note-taking, move on to the Got It? section to explore the final chapters in more detail.