Why God, Why?
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Why God, Why?


 
HomeHome  Latest imagesLatest images  RegisterRegister  Log in  

 

 No name for you!

Go down 
+6
Penguin
Fairlight
Jay/Cris
rae
Chaltab
the asylum
10 posters
AuthorMessage
the asylum
Shitgobbling pissdrinker
Shitgobbling pissdrinker
the asylum


Join date : 2009-06-14
Age : 39
Location : O Canada

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptyFri Aug 07, 2009 9:54 pm

So it's like this:

A story told through the perspective of a nameless character. Not just a minor character or a storyteller (such as a historian, criminologist, etc), but by the very main character himself. Throughout the entire story, we're never given his name, or even a (substantial) description of his appearance.

Just based on this alone, do you think the average reader find this annoying?
Back to top Go down
Chaltab
Shitgobbling pissdrinker
Shitgobbling pissdrinker
Chaltab


Join date : 2009-07-19
Age : 36
Location : Outside the middle of nowhere

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptyFri Aug 07, 2009 10:09 pm

It depends on how well you pull it off. You might be better off working in first person, otherwise you'll have instances of pronoun confusion anytime there's someone of the same gender as your protagonist in the scene.
Back to top Go down
rae
Contributor
Contributor
rae


Join date : 2009-06-10
Location : computer chair

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySat Aug 08, 2009 1:21 am

I think it could work very well, but as Chaltab stated, first person might be best. Especially since your other choice is to always refer to hir as 'the investigator' or 'the redheaded person' or whatever, which would very quickly become annoying.
Back to top Go down
Jay/Cris
The Word Police
The Word Police
Jay/Cris


Join date : 2009-06-10
Age : 36
Location : A´dam.

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySat Aug 08, 2009 2:51 am

Yann Martel´s Self employs this trick, never revealing the protagonist´s name throughout the novel while using a first person narrator. In this novel, this namelessness can be considered to be thematic, since the book deals heavily with the concept of identity (gee, ya think?). While reading it, I didn't even notice that we hadn't been given the protagonist's name until halfway through and the omission never bothered me. A friend of mine absolutely adores the book, and the namelessness of the main character only started bothering her when she wrote a paper about the story, which turned out to be an absolute bitch - especially considering the fact that the protagonist changes gender habitually, so even employing a gender pronoun would only confuse. There's only so many synonyms you can have for 'protagonist' and 'narrator'. Anyhow, I think it's absolutely possible to keep the name of your protagonist hidden without annoying your reader, but I do think you're stuck to a first person narrator if you want to keep this kind of ninja-writing subtle.
Back to top Go down
http://www.crisiks.livejournal.com
Fairlight
Keeper of the Gaffapedia
Keeper of the Gaffapedia
Fairlight


Join date : 2009-06-11
Age : 43
Location : England.

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySat Aug 08, 2009 7:26 am

There's quite a few books (and some films) around where the narrator never gives their name, Layer Cake for example, The IPCRESS file and it's sequels and kid's book The Witches. So yeah, it can work.
Back to top Go down
Penguin
NO NOT THE BEEEEES
NO NOT THE BEEEEES
Penguin


Join date : 2009-07-18
Location : Wild Gray Yonder

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySat Aug 08, 2009 7:48 am

They sort of did this in The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, because they never tell you the protagonist's real name. Everyone calls him by a nickname he's had since childhood before he can properly introduce himself: "Kyon." He occasionally complains about this in the narrative, but actually makes no effort to tell the audience his real name.
Back to top Go down
ZoZo
Knight of the Bleach
Knight of the Bleach
ZoZo


Join date : 2009-06-10
Age : 38
Location : In WD40's head

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySat Aug 08, 2009 11:13 am

...and Fight Club. We can't forget Fight Club.

I only realised it when (having seen the film first), I tried to talk about Ed Norton's character and couldn't bring a name to mind.
Back to top Go down
Spotts1701
Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Spotts1701


Join date : 2009-06-10
Age : 44
Location : New Vertiform City

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySat Aug 08, 2009 11:48 am

ZoZo wrote:
...and Fight Club. We can't forget Fight Club.

Or "A Fistful Of Dollars". In fact, the entire publicity surrounding it and the two sequels was about Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name".
Back to top Go down
Melissa
Sporkbender
Sporkbender
Melissa


Join date : 2009-06-13
Age : 45

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySun Aug 09, 2009 5:59 pm

H.G Wells did this in both War of the Worlds and The Time Machine.
Back to top Go down
KGarrett
Sporkbender
Sporkbender
KGarrett


Join date : 2009-07-07
Age : 1013
Location : New York, aka the most boring state there is.

No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! EmptySun Aug 09, 2009 10:18 pm

ZoZo wrote:
...and Fight Club. We can't forget Fight Club.

I only realised it when (having seen the film first), I tried to talk about Ed Norton's character and couldn't bring a name to mind.
He's usually called either Narrator or Jack when people talk about him. Though, considering the twist, I've wonder if his name is technically Tyler Durden before (I would've spoilered it, but c'mon, everyone knows the twist by now).
Back to top Go down
Sponsored content





No name for you! Empty
PostSubject: Re: No name for you!   No name for you! Empty

Back to top Go down
 
No name for you!
Back to top 
Page 1 of 1

Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Why God, Why? :: The Sporking Table :: New Releases-
Jump to: