Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647

In Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford is the narrator and—as Governor of New Plymouth for many years—the prominent figure within it. Perhaps in order to lend his account a greater sense of objectivity, he consistently refers to himself in the third person when describing his actions as governor. What's more, he does not provide much more insight into his thoughts and feelings while governor than he does into any other characters'. In fact, while the passenger list at the end of the account clarifies that Bradford's wife died shortly after coming to America and that he himself later remarried, these events play no role in the narrative itself.

In effect, then, Bradford exists as two distinct characters in the account, although the two obviously have many traits in common. As a narrator, Bradford comes across as a conscientious and pious man. He appears scrupulous, for example, about providing a complete and accurate account of events in Plymouth, often backtracking to insert an episode or anecdote he earlier forgot to mention. His objectivity as a narrator is not complete, however; in addition to displaying prejudices typical for the time (e.g., racism), he frequently halts the narrative to draw moral or practical lessons from the events he is discussing.