The Kaleidoscope: Changing Perspective in Your Stories
Try this tip to change your stories
You can completely transform a story with one small change. Think of those moments when you are trying to put together a story, and you just can’t seem to get it right. Everything feels forced - the voice, the perspective, and the points. You can’t quite bring the aperture of your idea into focus? Change the perspective the story is told from.
Take “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” by Hans Christian Andersen. This folktale from the early 1800s describes a self-absorbed Emperor whose only care was wearing the most beautiful and fashionable clothing. He changed his outfits multiple times a day and ignored every other aspect of being a ruler.
Two swindlers approached the Emperor with the offer to build him a special outfit made out of the most beautiful fabric. They woo him with the idea that it would appear invisible to anyone too ignorant or unfit for their role. Everyone else would revel in the beauty of the garments.
The Emperor hires them to begin immediately. He impatiently sends his advisor to check on their progress. The advisor is stunned to see the two men hard at work at looms without any fabric on them. Not wanting to be accused of being ignorant or unfit, he hurried back to tell the Emperor about the beautiful fabric they are creating for him.
The swindlers bring the clothing to the Emperor for a fitting. He was horrified when he couldn’t see the fabric. He effusively praised the beautiful outfit so he wouldn’t appear ignorant or unfit. His staff and subjects quickly echoed his praise, not wanting to admit they too saw nothing.
The Emperor decides to hold a procession to parade his new clothes around town. He’s surrounded by aides elaborately pretending to hold the train behind him. As he strode down the street in nothing but his skivvies, the people in the town exclaimed, “Look how beautiful the Emperor’s new clothes are!” Until he passed a small child who said, “But he has nothing on at all!”
The crowd started murmuring as adults whispered, “Listen to the voice of innocence.” The Emperor knew they were right and was embarrassed. But he forced himself to push on as though they were wrong.
Change the Perspective
The tale is written from the perspective of a narrator. We get glimpses of thoughts and reactions from the Emperor, his advisors, and his subjects. If the tale was told from the perspective of one of the characters, it would completely shift the meaning, tone, and takeaways.
If it was told solely from The Emperor’s perspective, we’d learn more about why he loved clothes. Maybe he felt insecure as a child, and this was his way of counteracting that. We’d gain an appreciation of his love through his descriptions of fabrics, colors, textures, and why he loved them. Empathy would bubble up because he’d no longer be this one-dimensional clothes-loving character. We’d hear his thoughts and experience his feelings. We’d hold our breath in embarrassment with him as he realizes the clothing doesn’t exist. The story could be a message of self-expression, shame or even learning you have surrounded yourself with people who aren’t honest with you.
Were the tale told by the swindlers, you may find yourself cheering for them as the underdog. You may share their disgust for the vapidness of the emperor and those that surround him. It could be framed as a social experiment to see who will be honest in situations that require courage. You’d visualize them pantomiming the weaving of the clothing on the looms and stifling laughter during the fitting with the emperor. The story could be a message about being confident to win any situation.
If the advisors told the tale, we’d likely hear their internal struggle and debate about speaking up. They would simultaneously want to alert the emperor and not be ridiculed as ignorant. We’d learn they doubt themselves on whether they are the only ones who can’t see the clothing. Internal conversations would be rehearsed in their head for what to say and when to say it. Do they speak and risk their job or stay silent and risk the Emperor’s embarrassment? The story could be a message about making decisions when there isn’t a positive outcome.
The tale told through the child’s eyes might be one of hilarity. An emperor walking down the street in his underwear but pretending to be fully clothed? That is funny. We’d hear the child’s confusion over the clothing-free emperor and the crowd’s praise of the garments. We might even learn a recounted tale of a time when the child was always taught to go outside fully dressed. The story might be a message about amusement or the realization that maybe adults don’t know as much as we think they do.
The same core events of the story are true in each of these. When you hear the different perspectives, you connect with their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Each one shapes a slightly different message, leading to different points and outcomes.
The Kaleidoscope of Messages
It’s like you are looking through a kaleidoscope of the story and each half-turn changes the experience. A different perspective can often bring a shift in the way your audience connects with the story.
Experiment with the perspective. Consider how your messages shift. What additional points and takeaways arise? Which helps the audience best connect to the emotions and senses in the story? Is there a perspective that adds unexpected plot points or ideas?
The next time you are working on a story and are grappling with pulling it together, change the perspective. A whole new story will emerge.
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