The Power of Perspective in The Raven Cycle
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Abstract
Beginning with the discussion of the terms narration and narrative, the paper asserts
the difference between point of view, which is defined as “who” tells a story, and
perspective, which shows “how” a narrator / a character perceives the events making
up the story. To show the power of perspective in a literary work, the paper focuses
on the young adult novel series The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. The five main
characters – Blue Sargent, Richard Gansey III, Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch, and
Noah Czerny – have been given unique perspectives that are unveiled through their
separate character arcs. Blue’s perspective is clad with assumptions; Gansey’s is a
clash between the perceived and the perceiving; Adam’s comes to light only when
compared to other characters’ perspectives; Ronan’s is postponed and contrary to
expectations; Noah’s is absent until the very end of the series.