sixth wall

English

Etymology

Coined by extending the theatrical concept of the fourth wall and the fifth wall (often referring to the medium itself, the critics, or the barrier between the audience and each other). The sixth wall proposes a further metaphysical layer separating the entire projected reality (narrative and audience) from the absolute creator (author/director/artist) or "god" of the narrative.

The sixth wall and the invisibility of all that beyond it is considered a structural imperative for narrative immersion. It is the layer where essentially "Deus Ex Machina" or "God In The Machine" operates; the breaking of such would mean that the machine has surpassed and consumed its 'god'.

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA: /ðə sɪksθ wɔːl/

Noun

sixth wall (plural sixth walls)

  1. (narratology, metaphysics) The conceptual boundary separating the creator (author, director, god or "prime mover") from both the narrative (their work) and the observers (the audience).
  2. (fandom slang) The "invisible hand" of the creator that shapes plot progression, coincidence, and fate within a story, which remains unseen, unacknowledged and beyond the perception of the characters and the audience under normal narrative circumstances.
    • 2024, Anonymous, Literary Analysis of Metafiction In Modern Narratives, page 5
      "While Deadpool breaks the fourth wall to talk to us, he rarely touches the sixth wall; he knows he is in a movie, but he rarely confronts the scriptwriter determining his suffering."
  3. (interior design) The ceiling.

Usage notes

Breaking the Sixth Wall: Unlike breaking the fourth wall (which is often done for comedic or meta-fictional acknowledgment of the audience), breaking the sixth wall is considered a solemn or catastrophic event within a story. It implies that the creator has ceased to be an invisible observer and has entered the narrative flow, often to rewrite or enforce a specific ending and/or flow of events.

One of the most famous examples of a character breaking the sixth wall in newer metafiction is Han Sooyoung from the major South Korean webnovel, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (전지적 독자 시점 Jeonjijeok Dokja Sijeom)

See also

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