As a literature expert with a deep understanding of narrative techniques, I can explain the nuances between the limited and omniscient points of view in storytelling. These two perspectives are fundamental to the way a story is told and how readers engage with the narrative.
**Limited Point of View (Third Person Limited):**
In a limited point of view, the narrative is filtered through a single character's consciousness. This character serves as the lens through which the reader experiences the story. The narrator has access only to the thoughts, feelings, and knowledge of this one character. This perspective can create a deep sense of intimacy with the character and allows the reader to understand their motivations, fears, and desires on a profound level. It can also create suspense because the reader is only aware of what the character knows, which can lead to surprises and plot twists.
Key Features:

1. Single Character Focus: The story is told from the perspective of one character at a time.

2. Limited Knowledge: The reader only knows what the character knows, which can lead to a more suspenseful narrative.

3. Character-Driven: The character's personality and worldview heavily influence the narrative.

4. Intimacy: Readers form a close bond with the character, experiencing the story from their unique viewpoint.

**Omniscient Point of View (Third Person Omniscient):**
In contrast, an omniscient point of view is when the narrator has access to the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of all characters in the story. This type of narration can provide a broad and comprehensive view of the narrative, allowing the reader to understand the intricacies of the plot and the relationships between characters. The omniscient narrator can move freely between characters' minds, offering insights into their inner lives and the larger context of the story.
Key Features:

1. All-Encompassing: The narrator knows everything about all characters and can share this knowledge with the reader.

2. Broad Perspective: Offers a wide view of the story, including the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters.

3. Flexibility: The narrator can shift between different characters and settings with ease.

4. Contextual Understanding: Provides a greater understanding of the story's context and the motivations of all characters.

Differences:

1. Narrative Access: Limited point of view restricts the narrative to one character's perspective, while omniscient gives the narrator access to all characters.

2. Suspense vs. Insight: Limited point of view can create more suspense due to the reader's limited knowledge, whereas omniscience provides a more comprehensive insight into the story.

3. Character Influence: In limited point of view, the character's perspective heavily influences the narrative, while in omniscience, the narrator has more control over the story's direction.

4. Reader's Connection: Readers may feel a stronger emotional connection with a single character in limited point of view, whereas in omniscience, they can appreciate the complexity of multiple characters.

It's important to note that while omniscience is often associated with objectivity, this is not always the case. An omniscient narrator can still have biases and may choose to reveal information selectively to influence the reader's perception of the story.

Now, let's move on to the translation:

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The main difference is that third person limited happens when the story is told from a character's perspective, while a story in third person omniscient is told by a narrator that is external to the story (i.e. not a character). ... Omniscient is often mistaken for --objective--, but that is not necessarily the case.read more >>