Analysis of Narrative Voice and Focalization in the novels The Young Crusader and The Letters

Abstract

This study attempt to explore the function of the two major narrative techniques in the novels The Young Crusader and The Letters. In this regard, the main aim of this study is analyzing the narrative voice and focalization of the two narrative texts. Therefore, in order to achieve the objective of this study, the researcher tries to review some related literature concerning Ethiopian literature and narrative techniques. It also discusses about different studies that have been done on the techniques and their applications to different novels. These studies have recognized different appearance of narrative voice and focalization in fictional writing. On the way of analyzing the two, the researcher looked at some related issues like voice markers of narrator, relation between the narrator and the story, reliability of the narrator, features of focalization, verbal indicators of focalization and finally narrators as focalizers. Finally the researcher came up with some findings the two novels have different appearance both in narrative voice and in focalization and it is clear that narrative voice and focalization can come into view as one or separately. In other words, this research shows that narrative voice and focalization can come together as one but still they are not the same. In addition, one narrative text can have more than one narrator as well as focalizer.