An analysis of the general trend of these 109 answers shows that the
first person is preferred and generally used by 14, the third person by
54, while 41 may be classed as neutral. Of this 41 only 24 are entirely
neutral; 8, while using both, prefer the third, and 9, while using both
or for various reasons using the third, prefer the first.
Some of the answers speak not only as writers but as readers and
doubtless most of the others in their preference as writers voice also
their preference as readers. On this rough assumption we might say that
of 109 readers 23 prefer stories in the first person to 62 preferring
the third. Two, as writers now preferring the third, originally
preferred the first and, by free and easy analysis, might be assumed to
have, as readers, rather a preference for the first. If so, the score
becomes 25 to 60: Again, quite a number among both classes and also
neutrals consider first person easier and therefore--perhaps--more
natural and therefore--perhaps--more pleasing. A much smaller number
give the third person as easier. This highly suppositional reasoning
would bring the score for first person considerably nearer that for
third. All of which has no value except as a straw indicating the truth
of the generally accepted theory that most readers prefer third-person
narratives to those told in first person, and as indicating that the
proportion may be anywhere from 3 to 1 on down to 10 to 7.
Rather pathetic as information, isn't it? But not half so pathetic as
the fact that writers and editors really _know_ so little as to the
reading public's preference on this point that even such weak-kneed
conclusions as the above are of some small value because they are at
least drawn from a few data of fact. Nor one-tenth so pathetic as the
fact that, while this commonly accepted theory seems justified by the
above straw, there are quite a few other theories commonly accepted by
writers, editors and critics that lack the support of even so slender a
fact-straw as this.
As stated at the beginning of the chapter, the real value of the
investigation is the answers' proof that the question of first person
versus third is wholly a matter to be decided according to each writer's
individuality and the nature of each particular story he takes up. Not
by anybody's general rule.