Perception on Perspective
One might say the sky is blue while the other might say that the sky is purple; surprisingly, both could be right because of different points of view. In literature, authors have a variety of points of view to choose from in order to make their work as engaging and interesting as possible. Shirley Jackson's "The Possibility of Evil" successfully uses third person limited to enhance readers' reading experiences. The use of third person limited helps the effectiveness of figurative language, particularly, dramatic irony. This is shown in the story when it reads, "she slipped her letters inside the slot, and two of them fell inside. The third caught on the edge and fell outside, onto the ground at Miss Strangeworth's feet" (Jackson 6). Due to the third person limited perspective, the readers receive important information. If the short story was written in first person, for example, readers would have never known about this incident and therefore it would not be possible for dramatic irony to have been created. This example thus shows how the author's wise choice of using third person limited increases the use of figurative language. Next, the use of third person limited is of aid with characterization. This is shown when it reads, "The town where she lived had to be kept clean and sweet, but people everywhere were lustful and evil and degraded, and needed to be watched..." (5). Since third person limited lets readers see the thoughts of some characters, it helps characterize Miss Strangeworth in examining her motives and revealing her inner thoughts. Readers can thus feel more engaged and connected with Miss Strangeworth with this important knowledge. If the author would have used another perspective, such as third person objective, the reader's understanding of Miss Strangeworth would have been greatly impacted. In conclusion, it is evident that the use of third person limited in Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Possibility of Evil" was effectively used to make the reader's experience better. Perspective is a difficult and important element of literature that can make or break a story; and for Shirley Jackson, it made "The Possibility of Evil."
