Here's a breakdown of what "limited" means in this context:
* Limited Point of View: The narrator only has access to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of one character. This creates a sense of intimacy and allows the reader to deeply understand that character's inner world. However, it also limits the reader's knowledge of the story as a whole.
* Third-Person Limited: The most common form of limited narration. The story is told in third person (using "he," "she," "they," etc.), but the narrator can only see and know what the chosen character can.
* First-Person Limited: The story is told from the perspective of one character, using "I" and "me." This is even more intimate than third-person limited, as the reader experiences the world solely through the protagonist's eyes.
Examples of Limited Narration:
* "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald: The story is told from Nick Carraway's perspective, which allows us to see Gatsby through a specific lens and experience his romantic yearning. We don't know Gatsby's inner thoughts or feelings directly, only what Nick observes.
* "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee: The story is told from Scout Finch's perspective, a young girl growing up in the American South. This allows us to see the world through innocent eyes and experience the events of the story through her understanding.
Contrast with "Omniscient" Narration:
Limited narration is the opposite of omniscient narration, where the narrator knows everything about all the characters and can access their thoughts and feelings. This allows for a wider view of the story, but can sometimes feel less personal and intimate.
In short, "limited" in literature describes a narrative perspective that focuses on a single character's experience, offering a close and intimate understanding of their world but limiting the reader's knowledge of the broader story.