Omniscient Narration in The French Lieutenant's Woman

Second Oral Report, by Zach Tomaszewski

for ENG 760J, Fall 2005, taught by Dr. Glenn Man


The narration of the film matches that of the book in a number of ways.

3rd person narration

Charles as the filter/focus

Sarah as largely inscrutable


Note. The modern day story does not occur in the novel, so it can't really be compared in terms of narration. However, it follows the same general patterns as the Victorian story:


Very Overt Narration

Emphasizing narration/creation process

Interrupting and commenting on the narrative

Highlighting (Comparison and Contrast) b/w Stories