JAMB 2022 Literature in English · Question 1

The narrator in a prose work who is also a character is

Options

  1. A.omniscient narrator
  2. B.participatory narrator
  3. C.objective narrator
  4. D.subjective narrator

Answer: B. participatory narrator

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term used when the person telling the story is also one of the characters taking part in the events.

Step 2: Explain the concept (types of narrator)

  • Omniscient narrator: An all-knowing outsider who sees into every character's mind and knows all events. This narrator is not a character in the story.
  • Participatory narrator: A narrator who takes part in the story as a character. This is usually a first-person narrator ("I"), whether the main character or a minor one.
  • Objective narrator: An outsider who reports only what can be seen and heard, without describing thoughts or feelings.
  • Subjective narrator: A narrator who reveals personal thoughts, feelings and opinions. This term describes how the story is told, not whether the narrator is a character.

Step 3: Apply to the question The key phrase is "also a character." That means the narrator is involved in the action. Omniscient and objective narrators stand outside the story, so A and C are out. A subjective narrator can be inside or outside the story, so D does not specifically fit. Only the participatory narrator is defined by being a character in the story.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. participatory narrator.

Tip: Match the word to its meaning: participate means to take part. If the narrator takes part in the story, the narrator is participatory. Examples include Okonkwo-style first-person tales or Adichie's Purple Hibiscus, where Kambili narrates her own experiences.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.

Past questions © the examination body (JAMB/WAEC/NECO). DeeepSolve is not affiliated with them. Rights holders: see /copyright.