English Literature GCSE
Retrospective Narrative
What Retrospective Narrative means in English Literature GCSE, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Retrospective Narrative
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A story told from the point of view of a narrator who is looking back on events in their past. This creates a dual perspective of the experiencing child/young adult and the reflecting adult.
A story told from the point of view of a character looking back on past events.
A story told looking back at past events.
Topics that use Retrospective Narrative
- Jane Eyre (OCR GCSE)
- Great Expectations (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- The Woman in Black (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Bildungsroman
- Pathetic Fallacy
- Anagnorisis
- Byronic Hero
- Doppelgänger / Gothic Double
- Foil
- Frame Narrative
- Free Indirect Discourse
Using Retrospective Narrative in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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