Third-Person Present Tense as Stylistic Allusion to Theatre : A Study of Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet

Abstract: In this essay, I illustrate how the third-person present tense narrative perspective can be used as stylistic allusion to theatre, by studying Maggie O’Farrell 2020 historical fiction novel Hamnet. Previous studies conclude that present-tense narration has the effect of blurring the lines between narration and experience. However, while a first-person perspective lets the reader enter the consciousness of an experiencing “I”, the third-person perspective, although inhabiting the same spatiotemporal level as the characters, maintains an outside perspective, observing the events as they unfold. Conclusively, as the study will show, third-person present tense narration has the potential to function as stylistic allusion to theatre as it seemingly challenges reader perception, letting the reader into the experiencing level of the story, assuming the role of the observer, thus mimicking the experience of watching a stage performance at a theatre.