Narrator and point of view

The short story “Sea Story” by A. S. Byatt is a third-person narration, told by a narrator who is outside the events.

The narrator has implicit unlimited knowledge with regards to Harold. The storyteller knows Harold’s past, his thoughts, and worries: “He thought she would never know how witty he was, how eloquent, in the classroom and out of it, unless he broke his charmed silence, but he could not.” (ll. 54-56)

Furthermore, the narrator knows that Laura died, although Harold does not which suggests that the storyteller also has knowledge about Laura’s character. However, the narrator does not reveal Laura’s thoughts or motivation. For instance, we do not know why she gave Harold the wrong address and email contact details.

Additionally, the ...