focalizer

Focalizer is a term used in narratology to designate the character, narrator, or mechanism through which a narrative presents events from a specific perceptual or cognitive standpoint. The focalizer’s perspective shapes what information is available to the reader and how that information is interpreted, influencing judgments about characters and actions. The concept is closely tied to focalization, a term popularized by Gérard Genette, and is distinct from the acts of narrating or storytelling.

There are several types of focalization. Internal focalization occurs when the narration transmits the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of a character, effectively filtering events through that character’s consciousness. External focalization occurs when the narrative presents events with little or no access to any character’s internal state, focusing on observable actions, dialogue, and external clues. Zero or level focalization describes passages where the narrative voice reports events without a clearly identifiable character’s perspective. Multiple focalization involves shifting focalizers within a scene or across scenes, offering different viewpoints from more than one character. An unreliable focalizer is a focalizer whose perception or interpretation is misleading or distorted, prompting readers to question the accuracy of the presented information.

In practice, focalization shapes reading experience and interpretation. Free indirect discourse is a common technique that blends a character’s voice with the narrator’s, often signaling internal focalization without explicit first-person narration. In film and other visual media, focalization can correspond to camera perspective or shot selection, guiding what the audience perceives and knows.

See also: focalization, narrative perspective, free indirect discourse, unreliable narrator.