2022 IB Diploma Extended Essays

disparity between the believed truth versus reality – shifting the readers’ focus from an outside perspective to the experience of the character. Furthermore, both religious references of “Adam” and “saints” in comparison to Ballard himself and corpse, associate the topic of Innocence versus Sin. This potently demonstrates the unavoidable connection between sinfulness and other human traits. Section II --- Effects of characterization on reader reflection through the lenses of different individuals Although both writers confront ethical limits through deviance and twisted acts, the stories are told from different points of view. This results in distinct effects on characterization which alters the reader’s outlook on the topics explored. In Child of God , the story is told through the eyes of an omniscient narrator, who appears to live in the same town as Ballard. However, there are certain periods where the story is occasionally narrated from third person point of view, without the mention of first-person pronouns. The inconsistency displayed throughout the narration of the novel represent moments where the speaker’s credibility is questioned. This symbolizes the gradual diminishing of Ballard’s sense of identity, as well as sanity. By observing the novel from an outsider point of view, readers are more likely to perceive situations with a degree of sensibility. This outlines the nature of comparison and displacement – where readers are directed to automatically compare Ballard’s situation to their own personal experiences and beliefs, which further challenges the readers’ moral boundaries. ‘The third-person omniscient point of view is the most objective and trustworthy viewpoint because an all-knowing narrator is telling the story’ (Weihardt, 2019). Here, Ballard is characterized from an unbiased perspective, which delivers a

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