This is the one we're all familiar with. The Clueless Newbie- the character that enters a world completely unfamiliar to them, and we are introduced to it along with them. Harry Potter is the clearest example of this. In the first book/film, Harry finds out about wizards, witches and Hogwarts, and has everything explained to him by Hagrid and other characters. This gives us all the exposition that we need without feeling like it's forced in for our benefit, because it's information that Harry needs. This audience surrogate is also important emotionally- we as the readers or audience experience a sense of awe and wonder at the wizarding world that we see reflected in Harry, making us empathise with him and feel included and welcome in the world. The Mockumentary CrewThis is for mockumentaries like the brilliant and hilarious vampire film What We Do In The Shadows. In this genre of film/TV, the characters introduce themselves, their world and the other characters to the camera crew and audience, giving it the illusion of reality even when we know it's completely fictional (particularly if the characters are vampires and werewolves). In this situation, the camera itself is the audience surrogate, and it's as if we ourselves are being directly addressed by the characters and invited into the world. This means that everything is explained to us to give us proper introductions to the characters and exposition. Unlike with the Clueless Newbie, the exposition is explicitly for us, but isn't forced, as it is when implausible-dialogue-between-characters-who-should-already-know-everything-that-they're-conveniently-repeating-for-the-camera is used for exposition. The exposition is natural, and is part of the storytelling of the mockumentary form through character interviews and introductions. The Rational Central CharacterThe Rational Central Character, for example Jane the Virgin's Jane, provides a focus of calmness and rationality when everyone else around them is being ridiculous and everything that happens is crazy. Because of this character, the plot can get as wild as it wants to and the audience accepts it because they see their own confusion mirrored in the rational character. Most of the characters can take actions that seem wildly emotional/irrational/crazy, but as long as we see that someone in the story is aware of how crazy it is (so we know the writers are also aware of it), we go with it. Implausible, wildly far-fetched plots are hard to relate to and enjoy on more than a shallow level (soap operas, 'reality' TV- not that these formats don't have value, but they're certainly not as emotionally affecting as something more plausible). Grounding the plot in a point of rationality makes it more real, plausible, and relatable. The narrator in Jane the Virgin also serves a similar purpose- at one point when a plot twist occurs, he says 'wow, I did not see that coming!', reflecting our own reactions and heightening the drama by highlighting how unexpected the event was. Or it makes us feel clever if we did actually see it coming. So to summarise, audience surrogates are important for making us feel included in the world, for giving us required exposition, and for reflecting our reactions to the story so we can identify with a character. Are there any types I've missed, or reasons they're important? Let me know! Image from http://www.thewrap.com/15-harry-potter-magical-facts-sorcerers-stone-15th-anniversary-photos/
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"After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."- Philip Pullman Archives
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