Berättarjaget

Berättarjaget, a Swedish term, translates to "narrative self" or "narrating self" in English. It refers to the consciousness or persona that tells a story within a literary work. This is distinct from the author, who is the real person creating the text, and the character, who is an entity within the story's world. The berättarjaget is the voice that guides the reader through the narrative, shaping their understanding of events, characters, and themes.

The nature of the berättarjaget can vary significantly. It can be an omniscient narrator, privy to all thoughts and actions, or a limited narrator, experiencing events from a specific character's perspective. First-person narration inherently features a strong berättarjaget, as the "I" is explicitly present. However, even in third-person narratives, a distinct narrative voice or perspective, the berättarjaget, is discernible. Its reliability, biases, and tone all contribute to the overall effect of the story. Analyzing the berättarjaget is crucial for understanding how a narrative is constructed and how meaning is conveyed to the reader.