Narrative Perspective Shifts in the Artistic Expression of Modern Novels

Abstract

With the development of narrative theory, narrative perspective has evolved from a traditional, static narrative device into a key mechanism for constructing textual structure and aesthetic imagery in modern novels. Shifts in perspective not only influence how events are presented but also profoundly shape the organization of character consciousness, language generation, and narrative logic, serving as a significant marker of the increasing complexity, polysemy, and decentralization in modern narratives. From the perspectives of narratology and stylistics, this paper systematically explores the categorical definition and theoretical evolution of narrative perspective shifts, analyzes their dynamic restructuring of narrative functions, redistribution of narrative authority, and mechanisms of tension generation, and further examines their artistic manifestations in linguistic form, stream-of-consciousness construction, and aesthetic ambiguity. The study reveals that the multidimensional flow and intersection of perspectives not only shape an open textual structure but also guide readers in participating in the process of meaning-making, thereby promoting formal innovation in modern novels at cognitive, linguistic, and aesthetic levels.