Point of View (POV)• Stories are told by

someone.• The Point of View is the

perspective (the eyes) through which the audience perceives (sees) the story.

Understanding Narrator

• The narrator is the story teller.

• This is not the same as the writer (author).

• The narrator has a certain persona (even 3rd person narrators): a personality, opinions, or attitudes that can influence what is said and how it is said.

First Person

• "I" or "we" serves as the narrator of a piece of fiction.

• The narrator is a character in the story may be a minor character, observing the action, or the main protagonist of the story.

• A first-person narrator may be reliable or unreliable.

First Person Example:

After I answered the question correctly, Jess shouted, “Good Job, Nick!” I felt so proud of myself, kind of like a lion, so I growled. Then I realized that my growl was kind of funny. So did everyone else, apparently. I saw Ms. Keating trying to hold back, but suddenly everyone was laughing, even Ms. Federico.

Second Person

• the narrator speaks directly to the reader (you)

• Second person is often appropriate for e-mail messages, presentations, and business writing.

Second Person Example:

After you answered the question correctly, Jess shouted, “Good Job!” You felt so proud of yourself, kind of like a lion, so you growled. Then you realized that your growl was kind of funny. So did everyone else, apparently. You saw Ms. Keating trying to hold back, but suddenly everyone was laughing, even Ms. Federico.

3rd Person Point of View• the narrator is NOT a character in the story• three types

omniscient, limited, objective

– Third Person Omniscient

• the story is not told by a character in the story

• the narrator can enter the minds of any character and knows everything

• the pronouns he, she, and they are used

Omniscient 3rd person example

• “Good job, Nick!” Jess exclaimed. She was so impressed with Nick’s response that she couldn’t contain herself. Nick, also impressed with himself, responded with a low, agreeing growl. He thought his reply to Jess was pretty funny. Ms. Keating and Ms. Federico agreed that his growl was funny and laughed along with the class.

– Third Person Limited

• the story is not told by a character in the story

• the narrator can enter the mind of one character and usually knows what that character sees and thinks

• the pronouns he, she, and they are used

Third Person Limited Example

“Good job, Nick!” Jess exclaimed. Nick noticed that she was pretty impressed with his answer to Ms. Federico’s question. Feeling ferocious made him want to growl a reply, so he did. He enjoyed making the class laugh, and was even more pleased with his response when he saw that Ms. Keating and Ms. Federico were laughing at his growl as well.

Third Person Objective • the story is not told by a

character in the story• the narrator does not enter

the characters’ minds• the objective point of view

is when the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue

• the pronouns he, she, and they are used

Objective View Example

“Good job, Nick!” Jess exclaimed! Nick responded to Jess’s excitement with a low

growl. Ms. Keating tried to suppress a laugh, but it escaped her. The class erupted into laughter, followed by Ms. Federico’s amused chuckles.

Point of View