Help pride and prejudice

[Zainy]

Hey everyone

I need help with identifying the focalizer in the passage of Pride and Prejudice volume 1, chapter 17, pg. 64-65, who's the focaizer? Also, is this an irony--> They were soon gone again, rising from their seats with an activity which took their brother by surprise, and hurrying off as if eager to escape from Mrs. Bennet's civilities...pg. 65

Also, wondering if anyone's done an english degree here?

Please and thnks

[JBI]

We are clearly focalized on "they". The irony is on civilities, being that they leave to escape them.

[Zainy]

Thanks...so the focalizer can also be a third-person narrator?

[JBI]

A Focalizer implies a third person narrator, who assumes the point of view temporarily. The focalizer is on the "they" in this cutting (I can't remember who, and have no time to read the text) who are having things told from their point of view.

[Zainy]

Page 65 of Pride and Prejudice:

The prospect of the Netherfirld ball was extreemly agreeable to every female of the family. Mrs. Bennet chose to consider it as given in compliment to her eldest daughter, and was particularly flattered by receiving the invitation from Mr. Bingley himself, instead of a ceremonious card. Jane pictured to herself a happy evening in the society of her two friends, and the attention of their brother; and Elizabeth thought with pleasure of dancing a great deal with Mr. Wickham, and of seeing a confirmation of every thing in Mr. Darcy's looks and behaviour. The happiness anticipated by Catherine and Lydia, depended less on any single event, or any particular person, for though they each, like Elizabeth, meant to dance half the evening with Mr. Wickham, he was by no means the only partner who could satisfy them, and a ball was at any rate, a ball. And even Mary could assure her family that she had no disinclination for it.

So in this one paragraph, it is an omniscient third-person narrator and the focalizer's are Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Elizabeth, Catherine, Lydia, Mary? ALL of them in just one paragraph can be the focalizer's!?!

[Bitterfly]

I think you're over-complexifying: this seems to be an example of "zero" or "omniscient focalisation" (which means that the narrator knows everything about the story, from what's happening on the surface to the character's thoughts ). That's how you have to express the idea, not by saying that the characters themselves are focalisers, but by understanding that it's the narrator, in all cases, who focalises (logical: he/she is the one telling the story).

edit: in this case, the narrator is also heterodiegetic, ie he/she is not part of the actual story.

I sympathize: I hate narratology!

[Zainy]

lol okay. Thanks...I think I get it.