A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role, or a character played by an actor. The word derives from the Latin for "mask" or "character," derived from the Etruscan word "phersu," with the same meaning.

The Persona in literature

---

In the area of literature, the term is sometimes used in the criticism of poetry and fiction to refer to a "second self" created by the author and through whom the narrative is related. Importantly, attributes and attitudes associated with the persona are understood to be separate from authorial intentions, per se, though there may in acutal fact be some overlap between the two. For instance, in Dostoevsky's novel, Notes from Underground (generally considered to be the first existentialist novel), the narrator ought not to be conflated with Dostoevsky himself, despite the fact that Dostoevsky and his narrator may or may not have shared much in common. In this sense, the persona is basically a mouthpiece for a particular worldview. Another instance of this phenomenon can be found in Brett Easton Ellis' novel, American Psycho, the story of a sociopathic murderer living in New York City, who is a successful, if very troubled, Wall Street executive by day. The work is one of social satire, and as such may well reflect a good deal of authorial intention, but the persona of Patrick Bateman (the novel's first-person narrator) ought not to be conflated with the novel's author.

In both of the examples just given, the persona is an active participant in the story he is narrating — it is his own story — but this need not be the case. To take another example from Dostoevsky's work, the narrator of The Brothers Karamazov is not an active participant in the story, but nevertheless presents a clear perspective on the events concerned therein. In other words, the invisible and omniscient narrator of Dostoevsky's novel gives the reader the impression of taking a definite attitude toward the proceedings being related, albeit subtly so, and mainly by tone of description and idiosynchratic phrasing.

More on [ Persona ]

Persona - Twitter Search

@dLiRio Jajaja! Nunca diga eso! La valía de una persona no se puede medir en lucas! Malos incentivos en estos bonos por término de conflico.
a_hernando_g (Andres Hernando) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:43:58 -0000
@dLiRio Jajaja! Nunca diga eso! La valía de una persona no se puede medir en lucas! Malos incentivos en estos bonos por término de conflico.
@halconmatinal ola mandale un salu2 a la kati ke es super buena persona
nenitoalbito (manuel vilche) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:41:35 -0000
@halconmatinal ola mandale un salu2 a la kati ke es super buena persona
@persona_B 僕はあまりお酒を飲んでも酔わないので酔える人が羨ましいですよ。しかしほんとに来年はいい年にしたいところです。
doremi_mate (drmmt) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:41:09 -0000
@persona_B 僕はあまりお酒を飲んでも酔わないので酔える人が羨ましいですよ。しかしほんとに来年はいい年にしたいところです。
@YoursTrullyEsha Shhh Its Not Hannah Montana That's Miley Cyrus ! A Whole Different Persona .
LaTaza20 (Jaime A) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:41:07 -0000
@YoursTrullyEsha Shhh Its Not Hannah Montana That's Miley Cyrus ! A Whole Different Persona .
Decir q amamos a alguien es mucho más q expresar lo q sentimos; es dejar claro para la otra persona q estamos dispuestos a realizar...
natiduarte (Natalia Duarte) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:40:42 -0000
Decir q amamos a alguien es mucho más q expresar lo q sentimos; es dejar claro para la otra persona q estamos dispuestos a realizar...
@_itsinvisible Figurati, quanti anni hai? oddio mi fa strano parlare con una persona "famosa" :D
AriDANGER (Arianna) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:40:18 -0000
@_itsinvisible Figurati, quanti anni hai? oddio mi fa strano parlare con una persona "famosa" :D

Subscribe to Persona RSS feed