Point of View in Fiction, Part II: Degrees of Omniscience

The word “omniscience” in the context of fiction may bring to mind sweeping nineteenth century novels and long-winded, all-seeing narrators with the power to dip in and out of the thoughts of even the most minor character. And while it’s true that an omniscient point of view gives a fictional narrator the potential for a boundless range of motion and a god-like perspective on the world of a story, its basic principles can also be applied more modestly within a range of commonly used points of view. Using passages from classic and contemporary novels as case studies, we’ll examine the tactics and strategies of selected authors with the goal of developing a better grasp of how degrees of omniscience can be used in our own work to create fiction of unusual depth, clarity, and emotional complexity.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

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