Erzählweise

Erzählweise refers to the narrative perspective or mode of storytelling employed in a literary work. It encompasses who is telling the story, how the story is told, and what information is revealed to the reader. Different Erzählweisen can significantly impact a reader's understanding and experience of a narrative.

A common distinction is between first-person and third-person narration. In first-person narration, the story is told from the "I" perspective of a character within the story. This provides an intimate and subjective view, as the reader only knows what the narrator knows and perceives. Third-person narration, conversely, is told by an external narrator. This can be omniscient, knowing everything about all characters and events, or limited, focusing on the thoughts and feelings of one or a few characters.

Other aspects of Erzählweise include the narrative voice, which can be objective or subjective, formal or informal, and the temporal arrangement of events, such as chronological order, flashbacks, or flashforwards. The choice of Erzählweise is a deliberate artistic decision that shapes the narrative's mood, tone, and thematic depth, influencing how readers connect with characters and interpret the story's events and meanings.