The Colour Out of Space

Lovecraft frequently employs frame narrators and passive narrators to tell a story. In “The Colour Out of Space,” he does both. The story told by the unnamed narrator frames Ammi Pierce’s account of how the blasted heath came to be. Typically, a frame narrator has his own purpose and reason for relating the story, a motive separate from the story itself. In this case, the unnamed surveyor was sent to do a job and became fascinated by the origin of the blasted heath.

Although Ammi is relating the story of Nahum Gardner and the unseeable colour, he is actually recounting his own experience and observations as an actor within the primary narrative. Thus, he can’t properly be called a frame narrator. In addition, he has no external motive of his own, separate from the fact that he has been asked to tell the story.

Both Ammi and the unnamed surveyor are passive narrators. The surveyor doesn’t convey any intention of alerting authorities that the planned reservoir may become tainted, and although he expresses concern for Ammi, he doesn’t try to encourage Ammi to leave. At most, he intends to ask someone to keep an eye on the old man.