raisonneur means A person in a play or book embodying an author's viewpoint. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “raisonneur” is a great word
RAISONNEUR — [Noun] A character in a play or novel who articulates the author’s viewpoint, often through reasoned argument or moral commentary. From French *raisonneur*, meaning 'reasoner' or 'arguer', from *raisonner* ('to reason'). Unlike a 'chorus' (a collective voice representing societal norms) or a 'protagonist' (the central driver of the plot's action), the raisonneur is a secondary figure whose primary purpose is thematic exposition. He is the weary doctor at the bedside of the fevered hero, the quiet friend who dissects folly over a glass of port, or the aged servant who delivers the summarizing verdict as the curtain falls—the author’s own ghost in the narrative machine, ensuring that drama’s heat is cooled into a clear, lasting point.
noun
- A person in a play or book embodying an author's viewpoint.