When writing a third-person limited narrative for an amnesiac, what is...

[Eclair_de_XII]

the protocol for how to refer to the person that the narrative is going to be told through?

For more context, the overarching narrative follows different people. The person's name has already been established earlier in the story. Moreover, the person will regain her memory during the last chapters of the story.

I'm thinking that a self-adopted moniker would grow too old too quickly. Also, as the person doesn't have an alternative persona, it would be highly inappropriate. Then again, as the person has lost her identity, she has basically already adopted an alternative persona. I could also use the person's true name. But that would very quickly dispel the illusion that the person is supposed to have amnesia, despite the narrative technically being told from her point-of-view. At this point, I am partial towards referring to this person as "the lady".

How do actual writers handle this? It's a figurative nightmare to try to refer to somebody without a name, and moreso when that person is interacting with people of the same gender. It's hard enough writing scenes for characters of the same gender, even when they do know their own names.

 

[pinball1970]

the protocol for how to refer to the person that the narrative is going to be told through?

For more context, the overarching narrative follows different people. The person's name has already been established earlier in the story. Moreover, the person will regain her memory during the last chapters of the story.

I'm thinking that a self-adopted moniker would grow too old too quickly. Also, as the person doesn't have an alternative persona, it would be highly inappropriate. Then again, as the person has lost her identity, she has basically already adopted an alternative persona. I could also use the person's true name. But that would very quickly dispel the illusion that the person is supposed to have amnesia, despite the narrative technically being told from her point-of-view. At this point, I am partial towards referring to this person as "the lady".

How do actual writers handle this? It's a figurative nightmare to try to refer to somebody without a name, and moreso when that person is interacting with people of the same gender. It's hard enough writing scenes for characters of the same gender, even when they do know their own names.

You can stick a reminder in?

"Sarah still had no idea who she truly was ..."

"Rita, as she now referred to herself...."

 

[Algr]

"John Doe" or "Jane Doe" is used for an unknown person.

 

[pinball1970]

"John Doe" or "Jane Doe" is used for an unknown person.

A dead person. (I watched CSI!)

 

[Algr]

A dead person. (I watched CSI!)

Well everybody is dead on CSI. What do they do with real amnesiacs?

 

[Drakkith]

For more context, the overarching narrative follows different people. The person's name has already been established earlier in the story. Moreover, the person will regain her memory during the last chapters of the story.

You have a few options.

1st:
Use the character's new name exclusively when writing from their point of view. This is relatively easy and you usually only need to hint at the character's real name, perhaps by referencing it at the end of the previous scene. For example, if Maria can't remember her name and is now known as Tess, then you could end a scene with a character saying, "Where is Maria?", with the following scene immediately starting with: Tess wandered the lonely street, occasionally pressing a hand to scratch the wound on her temple.

The close proximity of the two names can remind readers what Tess's real name is.

2nd:
Use the character's new name almost exclusively, with an occasional reminder thrown in where appropriate: Tess wandered the lonely street, occasionally scratching her head wound as she looked around for anything or anyone she recognized. [Insert another paragraph of scene text] With a sudden sob Tess fell to her knees in the middle of the street and began to weep in despair. Maria continued to weep until darkness fell and the rain started.

3rd:
Use the character's real name in the scene except when people refer to her:
Maria waved to George and gave him a small smile when he approached. George hugged her tightly, saying, "Tess! How did your appointment go? What did the doctor say about your head?"
"Nothing good. Not really" she said. George released her and Maria looked away as her eyes started to wet. "They'll remove the stitches on Monday. The nurse was all smiles when we talked, telling me to stay positive and that she's seen a couple of cases like mine where the person recovered their memories, but it's all just bullshit."
"Oh, Tess, I'm so sorry. Come on back to the house. Judy is making dinner and will let me have it if I don't bring you along."

4th:
Use whatever combination your writing style and ability can get away with:

Tess sat at a table outside eating a sandwich, watching the people in the crowd as they passed by. A few were looking for someone, their cries of "Maria! Maria!" getting louder as they approached. Tess wondered who Maria was. A small part of her briefly pondered whether she herself was Maria. This was, of course, totally and completely true, as Tess, formerly known as Maria, was the actual Maria the people shouting "Maria! Maria!" were looking for. But this was unknown to Maria, now Tess, as her real name of Maria had been forgotten weeks before when Tess, formerly the minor actress commonly called Maria by Maria's close friends and family, tripped and fell from a curb when some stranger had shouted, "Maria!" when she was walking by. Ironic, since the stranger was actually calling for some other Maria, but the irony was lost on Maria, now Tess, who didn't remember that she wasn't the Maria that the stranger's Maria was. So Tess, formerly Maria, but her Maria and not his, sat outside a sandwich shop munching on a BLT while the people who knew her as Maria, their Maria, not the stranger's Maria, whom they had never met, neither Maria nor the stranger, passed her by without seeing their Maria eating a sandwich and not knowing that she was their Maria, not Tess, who shouldn't be eating a sandwich outside of a sandwich shop and briefly wondering if she was, indeed, their Maria or not.

But they passed quickly without looking at her and Tess went back to eating her sandwich.

Hope that helps.

 

[Eclair_de_XII]

I like your first suggestion the most. In my view, the second sounds like she has dissociative identity disorder. The third is a feasible option, now that I reread it. The fourth was too prosaically confusing for me to read through in its entirety, honestly. I appreciate the effort you went through into brainstorming for me.

While reading through your post, I realized that I forgot to mention that the character I'm writing doesn't even have a name she can cling to. My apologies for my carelessness.

That being said, I have already decided that "the lady" is both plain and uncommon enough in my narrative, that I can essentially use it as a name of sorts until my character gets her real name back.

 

[Drakkith]

the second sounds like she has dissociative identity disorder.

Really? I wouldn't have thought that unless it was written from a 1st person perspective since I don't think of 3rd person as being 'written by' the perspective character.

The fourth was too prosaically confusing for me to read through in its entirety, honestly.

How do you think it was to write it?

That being said, I have already decided that "the lady" is both plain and uncommon enough in my narrative, that I can essentially use it as a name of sorts until my character gets her real name back.

I think that's a good choice. I was going to suggest something like 'the girl' or 'the lady' until I saw you had already thought of it.

 

[Eclair_de_XII]

I wouldn't have thought that unless it was written from a 1st person perspective since I don't think of 3rd person as being 'written by' the perspective character.

I think I just mistook it for a third-person-limited telling, rather than one that is third-person-omniscient, as you've implied.

 

[Drakkith]

I think I just mistook it for a third-person-limited telling, rather than one that is third-person-omniscient, as you've implied.

Ah, I had forgotten that such distinctions existed to be honest, so I now see your point.

 

[hmmm27]

I was gonna go for "She...", starting off, perhaps segueing into a nickname or something as time went on. "The lady" works, though there are connotations of societal status and mannerisms.