Part 3 : Introduction of a Character using Direct Address to the Reader.
In this method the character directly address the reader.
Three well known books that use this method are: Moby Dick, The Great Gadsby and Huckleberry Finn.
Here is an example from Kate Christensen’s The Epicure’s Lament:
All the lonely people indeed. Whoever they are, I’ve never been one of them. The lack of other people is a balm. It’s the absence of strain and stress. I understand monks and hermits, anyone who takes a vow of silence or lives in a far-flung cave. And I hoped to live this way for the rest of my life, whatever time is left to me. (p. 3)
Notice that this passages tells the reader the character is literate and educated; he prefers his own company to others; he harbours an active hostility to other people; and he is a fatalist.
The strength in this kind of introduction lies within the first person narrative; we’re hearing an individual tell us their stories in a way that only they can describe. Even though we don’t know what they look like or what they are doing, we know we are in direct contact with a unique individual and are already aware of some of their most intimate thoughts.
Now its your turn. Write your character introduction using this method and post it in the comments section below.
