Who is telling the story and how does this influence the story?

Answer 1

Your question considers two viewpoints -- the point of view of the protagonist (main character) as established by the writer, and the point of view of the reader.

When you tell the story strictly from the POV of the protagonist, then the reader only knows what the main character knows, discovers clues and story elements along with the character.

When you tell the story from the POV of the reader, you can foreshadow clues and story elements, which can build tension as the reader imagines the main character discovering them.

As a writer, you can choose which POV to use by working with the pace, the rhythm and the dramatic tension -- or comedic tension -- you want to create in the reader's mind.

As a reader, figuring out whose POV is being presented gives you additional information about the situation, the facts and the plot, as you learn more about each character.

Answer 2

The narrator, or point of view, of a story can greatly influence the reader's perspective and understanding. Whether it is first-person, third-person limited, or omniscient narration, the choice of perspective shapes how events are portrayed and how characters are perceived. The narrator's biases, reliability, and closeness to the characters can all impact the reader's interpretation of the story.

Answer 3

You are looking for the narrator or the point of view of the story.