Which term describes the narrator who is outside the story and can reveal the thoughts and motives of all characters?

• A. Limited Third Person Point of View
• B. All-Knowing/Omniscient Third Person
• C. Direct Characterization
• D. Narrator

Answer: (B)

Think about who is telling the story and what they know. An all-knowing, or omniscient, third-person narrator sits outside the action but can report the inner thoughts and motives of all characters, move between scenes, and provide background information that characters themselves might not disclose. That broad access to multiple minds is what makes this description the best fit.

In contrast, a limited third-person narrator stays with one character’s perspective and can’t reliably reveal everyone’s private thoughts. Direct characterization is about how the author shows a character’s traits through description, dialogue, and actions—not about who knows what in the story. A generic “narrator” could be any perspective, so it doesn’t specify the broad access the omniscient voice has.

So, the term that describes a narrator outside the story who can reveal the thoughts and motives of all characters is the all-knowing/omniscient third-person narrator.