Friday, 14 June 2024

POV Cop

"Lodestar" (here) opens:

"Lightning reached. David Falkayn heard the crack of torn air..." (p. 633)

Clearly, Falkayn is the viewpoint character here and, if we have read the series consecutively to this point, then we know who he is. 

Does the narrative point of view remain consistent? This opening paragraph continues:

"...and gulped a rainy reek of ozone. His cheek stung from the near miss. In his eyes, spots of blue-white dazzle danced across night." (ibid.)

Still Falkayn's pov (point of view). It is he that smells ozone, feels a sting and sees spots. But a writer, particularly Poul Anderson, is not likely to switch povs within a single paragraph. 

Continuing:

"'Get aboard, you two,' Adzel said. 'I'll hold them.'" (ibid.)

The text has not switched to Adzel's pov. We are told what Falkayn and another companion hear Adzel say.

"Crouched, Falkayn peered after a target for his own blaster." (ibid.)

This sentence alone could be Falkayn's pov but could also be what someone else sees and infers from his actions. We can see that someone is peering and infer what it is that he is looking for. However, the next sentence after that confirms that the narrative remains within Falkayn's pov:

"He saw shadows moving..." (ibid.)

Moving forward through the text, we find Chee Lan addressing Falkayn and running towards the spaceship. When she is attacked by a native:

"Sick-hearted, Falkayn took aim." (p. 634)

Someone else would be able to see him take aim but it is Falkayn that feels sick-hearted.

"Hurry! Falkayn told himself." (ibid.)

At the bottom of this page and the top of the next, we read his italicized thoughts and are told that his mind groans: not his mouth, which could be heard by someone else, but his mind. Further down p. 635, we are told what he wants and what he thinks.

Thus, so far, the narrative point of view is consistent. There is an interesting change of pov later.

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