We write and speak in three different 'persons' . . .
Let's say I'm telling you something about Sam.
I'm the first person. You're the second person. Sam is the third person.
First Person: I, we, us
Second Person: You, you-all
Third Person: He, she, it, they, them
So there are three different ways to write or tell the same story.
Most stories that you read are written either in the First person or the Third person.
<u>"First-person narrative" is a story being told by the person it's about</u>. "I'm Al. I got up in the morning. Then I got dressed, I went to the store, and bought milk."
"Third-person narrative is a story being told about somebody. "Sam got up in the morning. Then he got dressed, he went to the store, and he got milk."
I saved "Second-person narrative" for last, because it's not used very often and so it sounds weird. But there ARE whole books written in Second-person: "Your name is Johhny Schlaffgut. You went to bed early last night because yesterday was a tough day at the office and you were tired. But this morning you felt OK. You woke up, you got dressed, and you went to the store for milk."
One of the techniques that Irving is using in this text is that of imagery. Imagery refers to a type of language that is used by poets or other authors. It includes figurative language that uses creative ways to describe a thing, place or situation. It also employs devices such as metaphors and similes. In this case, Irving is using imagery when describing the expression the person had, the pain he felt and the horror he inspired.