In Matilda's Voice: Narrative and Character in Mister Pip Anonymous 12th Grade

‘The art of the storyteller is to hold the attention of the reader.’

One of the ways in which author Lloyd Jones holds our attention in the novel Mister Pip is through the use of Matilda’s innocent narrative voice. Matilda’s traumatising experiences in the beauty of her remote village on the island of Bougainville, shape her character and decisions as she grows. Her telling of her story captures and holds the attention of the reader throughout the novel. Matilda is a narrator who is inside the text. She is a character in the novel and speaks to the reader directly. Matilda’s honesty displayed throughout her narration creates trust and reliability in her character, drawing further attention to her plight. Despite Matilda’s naivety we believe her assessment of the situations around her. Matilda’s tone emphasises the effect of war on both herself and her community which maintains the attention of the reader.

Matilda is a young girl who narrates her experiences which speak and connect directly with the reader. The first person narrative is the sincere voice of Matilda, who is an eyewitness to horrific events. Events that she witnesses are captured in the simplicity of her sentences and descriptions. This use of syntax is...