The Weight of the Voice. The Authority of the Narrator in the Novelas Ejemplares

Abstract

The narrator of the Novelas ejemplares is present in the story in different ways, depending on the segment where he appears. In the beginning, he exercises tight control of the story, going so far as to predetermine the fate of the characters. In the middle, he gives them the possibility to express themselves, their wishes or their opinions, but he is also directly involved with forms of metalepsis aimed at renewing the communicative contract with the reader. In the end, the narrator returns to take control of the narrative, appearing in many cases as direct witness to the facts or closing the story, even with double and false endings. This double attitude situates the narrator half way between the short Italian novella and the modern novel.