The Difference

The Difference

Authors Note: This piece is about Nathaniel’s unfortunate situation from Basil’s point of view, in the book “Give Me Liberty”, by L.M. Elliot. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

In “Give Me Liberty”, by L.M. Elliot, Nathaniel is a thirteen year old indentured servant. At a young age his mother passed away and his father had to sell him into slavery because he could not take care of him.  Nathaniel was originally owned by a man named Owen.   One day while Owen beat Nathaniel in front of a crowd, an older man named Basil noticed this and offered to buy the boy from Owen. Basil brought Nathaniel home and had him help out around the house and with his business. Basil teaches the boy how to read, gives him music lessons and treats him like a member of the family.

This story is written in a third party point of view. Through this perspective, characters in this book are described in a way that leaves the reader with questions. It is difficult to truly understand how Nathan is feeling about all the things that are happening to him. For example, in chapter one, when Nathaniel is sold as an indentured servant by his own father, the narrator does not describe in detail the way Nathaniel feels about that. If told from Nathaniel’s perspective, the story could be written with much more clarity and depth of feeling, rather than leaving the reader to infer these things.

If the novel was written from Nathaniel’s point of view, the reader would feel a lot differently about Nathaniel’s life as an indentured servant. Instead of the narrator just saying that “Nathaniel was scared about the idea of becoming an indentured servant” Nathaniel could have said…”How could my own father do this to me? First Mom’s death, and now this?  Instead of him fighting for me and keeping me with the family I have left, he has me standing here on a podium as men walk around me, deciding whether I would be a good servant or not. I’m tempted to tell my father, ‘Just take me home Dad.  We can find another way to get money!’ But my father didn’t raise me that way. I must hold my head high and stand my ground…”  Now if this had been part of the story it would give the reader an understanding of how Nathaniel truly felt, helping the reader relate more closely to the character.

A book that does a quality job of showing the character’s reactions and a clear understanding of the character’s lives is “The Outsiders”, by S.E. Hinton. This story was written from the main character’s point of view. This not only helps the reader better understand the story, but more importantly, gives the reader a better understanding of how the characters feel about what is happening. You get to see the events through the character’s eyes, rather than through the filter of our own experience. If “Give Me Liberty” was told from Nathaniel’s point the reader would get a unique insight into the events as seen through the life experience and feelings of a young boy, trying to find his way in the world, orphaned and separated from his family, and finding his redemption through the kindness of a stranger. A third party narrative takes this emotional situation and gives it a dryer tone.