The Shifting Narratee in The Turn of the Screw Essay

The Shifting Narratee in The Turn of the Screw In the essay Introduction to the Study of the Narratee, Gerald Prince discusses the interpretative value of thinking about to whom a narrative is addressed. First, he establishes what a zero-degree narratee (or possessor of a minimum number of specific narratee characteristics identified by Prince) is and is not: A narratee is not the actual reader, the implied reader, or the ideal reader. The narratee is beholden to the narrator, because, Without the assistance of the narrator, without his explanations and the information supplied by him, the narratee is able neither to interpret the value of an action or to grasp its repercussions (Prince 11). With this definition†¦show more content†¦Douglas plays a key role since he is the caretaker of her written record and of, apparently, their long-dead mutual affection. Though at a party full of people who are somewhat interested in the story, Douglas is addressing only one person, the narratee, who happens to be a charac ter in the story. As Douglass narratee, I fulfills some of Princes delineated narratee functions: He has roughly the same intellectual capabilities, is in tune with the nuances of Douglass prepatory remarks, and seems to be the intended recipient of the story at the Christmas party. Douglas appeals to I to fully understand the emotional impact of the story. I recalls, It was to me in particular that he appeared to propound this - appeared almost to appeal for aid not to hesitate, an appeal to which I willingly responds, The others resented postponement, but it was just his scruples that charmed me (2). But if Douglas narrates to I, to whom is I speaking? This narratee is more elusive. The fictive listener of Is story must be someone who is intrigued by unnatural events and must be able to look beyond the surface of the story at the moral or psychological subtext that I is interested in. Both Douglas and I are trying to say more with less, in varying