Focalization in Life of the Iron-Mills

Focalization

Manfred​ ​Jahn’s​ ​​Focalization​​ ​defines​ ​and​ ​describes​ ​the​ ​many​ ​different​ ​forms​ ​focalization

can​ ​take​ ​in​ ​a​ ​story.​ ​He​ ​begins​ ​the​ ​article​ ​by​ ​distinguishing​ ​focalization​ ​from​ ​narration.​ ​Unlike narration,​ ​focalization​ ​is​ ​viewing​ ​a​ ​narrative​ ​through​ ​the​ ​eyes​ ​of​ ​another.​ ​Because​ ​of​ ​this, readers’​ ​information​ ​on​ ​the​ ​story​ ​may​ ​be​ ​limited​ ​as​ ​the​ ​narrator​ ​is​ ​not​ ​a​ ​neutral​ ​source.​ ​Jahn​ ​goes on​ ​to​ ​describe​ ​Modernist​ ​authors’​ ​influence​ ​on​ ​focalization.​ ​Modernist​ ​authors’​ ​did​ ​not​ ​want​ ​to tell​ ​a​ ​factually​ ​accurate​ ​story,​ ​instead​ ​they​ ​found​ ​it​ ​more​ ​interesting​ ​to​ ​tell​ ​their​ ​stories​ ​through the​ ​eyes​ ​of​ ​the​ ​characters​ ​in​ ​them​ ​(focalization).​ ​Jahn​ ​highlights​ ​many​ ​different​ ​theories​ ​on focalization.​ ​He​ ​specifically​ ​mentions​ ​Genette’s​ ​model​ ​along​ ​with​ ​Bal’s​ ​critique​ ​and​ ​Rimmon​ ​- Kenan’s​ ​opposing​ ​model.​ ​Genette’s​ ​model​ ​identifies​ ​the​ ​differences​ ​between​ ​non-focalization (narrator’s​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view​ ​does​ ​not​ ​restrict​ ​information)​ ​internal​ ​focalization​ ​(information​ ​is restricted​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​narrator’s​ ​perspective),​ ​and​ ​external​ ​focalization​ ​(mainly​ ​dialogue​ ​and stage​ ​directions).​ ​Bal​ ​argues​ ​that​ ​Genette’s​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​non-focalization​ ​and​ ​external focalization​ ​should​ ​be​ ​combined,​ ​creating​ ​only​ ​two​ ​categories​ ​of​ ​focalization,​ ​external​ ​and internal.​ ​Rimmon​ ​-​ ​Kenan​ ​introduces​ ​to​ ​Genette’s​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​focalization​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not only​ ​perceptual,​ ​but​ ​cognitive,​ ​emotional,​ ​and​ ​ideological.​ ​Jahn​ ​sums​ ​up​ ​this​ ​section​ ​of​ ​his​ ​article by​ ​pointing​ ​out​ ​that​ ​although​ ​the​ ​different​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​focalization​ ​are​ ​debated,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​clear​ ​that psychology,​ ​cognition,​ ​emotions,​ ​ideology,​ ​and​ ​apperception​ ​influence​ ​how​ ​we,​ ​and​ ​characters, see​ ​and​ ​interpret​ ​the​ ​world.​