Final answer:
Witness accounts are typically first-person narratives imbued with subjectivity, while narrators can adopt third-person perspectives for a more objective commentary. The choice of narrative perspective affects the trustworthiness and reliability of the story, and it's important to distinguish between the author and the narrator.
Step-by-step explanation:
Witness accounts are often narrated from a first-person perspective, which means that the narrative is centered around the personal experiences and perceptions of the individual providing the testimony. This can lead to a more subjective representation of events, colored by the witness's personal biases, emotions, and selective memory. A narrator's commentary, however, may adopt different narrative styles, such as third-person limited or omniscient perspectives. These tend to provide a more detached and objective view of events compared to first-person witness accounts.
For example, in the context of narrative styles like memoirs or personal narratives, the first-person perspective allows the author, who is also the narrator and a character in their own story, to recount events and reflect on their significance. Different narrative styles influence how the story is told and the level of objectivity presented. When a story is told in the third-person, the narrator is typically not a character in the story and presents a more impartial account of the events, using pronouns like 'they', 'her', 'she', and avoiding the direct address or personal experience associated with second-person (you, your) or first-person (I, my) perspectives.
Ultimately, the choice of perspective significantly impacts the trustworthiness and reliability of the narrative. It is important to note that the narrator and the author are distinct entities; the narrator exists within the story, while the author is the real person who creates the narrative. This distinction can influence how readers interpret the text, especially when considering the potential for biased or unreliable narrators.