Of many voices

Sometimes a story has so many layers that the author feels that many points of view will better tell the story. I have read some books that use multiple points of view, but I found The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende to be the best example of such a maneuver. The book begins in the omniscient limited third person, with an emphasis on Clara (the main protagonist). Throughout the novel, there are some sections of the first-person memoirs of Esteban, her husband. However, we discover that the one who really tells the story is his granddaughter Alba, and Allende uses two types of first person: the observer and the journal entry. Yes, there are a lot of people contributing to the narrative. It can be confusing, especially if the writer or reader isn’t paying close attention. However, numerous points of view are not always a bad thing. The key is to determine if the scale of your story warrants that the point of view is so distributed among the characters. Likewise, there may be situations outside the scale of the story in which multiple points of view can solve problems for writers.

The first thing a writer must determine is which event or events cause the most change in the story. Along with the events, writers must consider the configuration of these events and the frequency with which the events of the story occur there. Otherwise it will be considered a confusing fill. Even if a minor event occurs in a crucial environment, you can skip detailing what happened. On the other hand, if a relationship changes, results in a new law, or changes the prevailing conventional wisdom in your story, then using another point of view to convey the events can solve a difficult situation.

Another reason to consider multiple points of view is to detail what happens to the main narrator after he experiences a drastic change that can alter his voice. For example, a character can die, suffer a breakdown, be sent to jail, or be removed from the central action. With any of these scenarios, you can change the narrator. In fact, unless the story ends with that event, it will unconsciously switch to a different point of view. This change will appear in the last chapters and / or in the epilogue. Even if you keep the main point of view type (first or third person), the subtype can change. For example, you can move from the first-person memoir when telling the body of the story to the first-person journal entry in the epilogue. Sometimes this change occurs in later chapters rather than an epilogue, but the effect is similar.

Finally, multiple points of view can help develop aspects of more intricate relationship dynamics. This is why William Faulkner used various streams of first-person conscious views in While I agonize. The Bundren family is closely related despite its many shortcomings and dysfunctions. Every action taken by a single member can change the family as a whole. For example, Daryl (who is the first narrator of the story) starts out as the stable force in the family. However, his sanity slips, leading his brothers Cash and Vardaman to become the family’s forces of stability. Likewise, Jewel’s presence and origins show how exactly Addie (the deceased mother) felt trapped in her own family. Again, these multiple views can be confusing. However, Faulkner helped the readers. Each chapter has the name of the narrator of that chapter.

Now, when is it appropriate to use multiple points of view? This technique is best suited for novels, but if you only use two points of view, you can incorporate it into a short story. It is also suitable for collections and serials. No matter how long the job takes, it all comes down to looking at your plot. If a lot has to happen to put the characters in a certain situation, other points of view might be the way to go.

The next time someone comments on a comment that the point of view changes, don’t automatically regard it as a bad thing. Multiple points of view can, in fact, make the story more effective. If all else fails, ask the person if they think the story would benefit from more than one perspective. It’s certainly worth a try, especially since the modern audience is more open to multiple points of view.