Lesson plan
Focalisation
In narratology, focalisation (also focalization) is the perspective through which events in a narrative are perceived and presented to the reader. The concept was introduced by French narrative theorist Gérard Genette to replace the vaguer notion of "point of view" by separating the question of who sees (the focaliser) from who speaks (the narrator). Genette distinguished three types: zero focalisation (an omniscient narrator whose knowledge exceeds that of any character), internal focalisation (the narrative is filtered through a character's consciousness), and external focalisation (the narrator reports only what is externally observable, knowing less than the characters). The concept was substantially refined by Mieke Bal, who recast focalisation as a relationship between a focaliser (the agent whose perception orients the narrative) and the focalised (the object of that perception). Focalisation has become one of the central analytical categories in narratology, with applications in literary criticism and film studies.
Article summary
In narratology, focalisation (also focalization) is the perspective through which events in a narrative are perceived and presented to the reader. The concept was introduced by French narrative theorist Gérard Genette to replace the vaguer notion of "point of view" by separating the question of who sees (the focaliser) from who speaks (the narrator). Genette distinguished three types: zero focalisation (an omniscient narrator whose knowledge exceeds that of any character), internal focalisation (the narrative is filtered through a character's consciousness), and external focalisation (the narrator reports only what is externally observable, knowing less than the characters). The concept was substantially refined by Mieke Bal, who recast focalisation as a relationship between a focaliser (the agent whose perception orients the narrative) and the focalised (the object of that perception). Focalisation has become one of the central analytical categories in narratology, with applications in literary criticism and film studies.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.