Point of View: __________________
_________________ refers to the way a story is told, the perspective or angle of vision,
or the position from which the events are narrated for the reader. Sometimes the author
"tells" the story; sometimes one of the characters does so. Sometimes this narrator
knows all about everything; sometimes the narrator is limited in her or his knowledge
and outlook. These methods of storytelling and the examples of point of view are
detailed below.
______________: uses ___________. First person is the character telling the story. It
is also often used when someone is stating an opinion or sharing a
feeling. (Often ___________________, meaning having personal
feeling toward the events in the story)
Example: The warm sand did feel good on my feet, and now I was
almost glad that we wouldn’t have to spend another night
on the hard, wet boards of the raft. (From The Cay by T.
Taylor)
______________: uses the word __________. Second person is a good choice when
giving directions or anytime you're speaking directly to someone.
Second person is ___________________ used to tell a story.
When it does, it makes the reader into a character.
Example: You and Carlos are on an expedition to the world's highest
mountains in the remote kingdom of Nepal to search for
the Yeti, otherwise known as the Abominable Snowman.
(From The Abominable Snowman by RA Montgomery)
Example: Push the power switch on the High Definition Plasma
display to turn the set on power-on. (From Panasonic
HD TV instructional manual)
_______________: uses ____________________. Sometimes, ________ is used
when talking about a thing instead of a person.
Example: Jess told Leslie to meet him at the castle stronghold on
Christmas Eve afternoon. The rest of his family had gone to
the Millsburg Plaza for last minute shopping, but he stayed
behind. (From Bridge To Terabithia by K. Paterson)
_______________: the narrator is a non-participant but only knows the thoughts and
feelings of a ____________________. In other words, the narrator's
knowledge of the situation is _____________ only to one character.
Example: So he turned and started walking north on Hector, right
down the middle of the street, right down the invisible
chalk line that divided East End from West End. Cars
beeped at him, drivers hollered, but he never flinched.
The Cobras kept right along with him on their side of the
street. So did a bunch of East Enders on their side. One of
them was Mars Bar. Both sides were calling for him to come
over. (From Maniac Magee by J. Spinelli)
_______________: the writer is a non-participant but is able to see into and
have ______________________ about any or all of the characters.
From this angle, the author can roam anywhere, see
anything, and comment on or interpret events at will. (Often
________________, meaning able to present the characters and
events of the story without personal judgement).
Example: Although Samuel's parents lived in the wilderness,
they were not a part of it. They had been raised in
towns and had been educated in schools where
they'd been taught to read and write and play
musical instruments. They moved west when
Samuel was a baby, so that they could devote
themselves to a quiet life of hard physical work and
contemplation. They loved the woods, but they
did not understand them. Not like Samuel. (From Woods
Runner by G. Paulsen)
Here the reader _______________ the parents’ and Samuel’s
feelings.
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***When determining the point of view of a story, do not rely on the 1 st person words in
_____________________. ***
Example: “I didn’t mean it,” she said.
In what point of view is this statement? ______________
Example: “I didn’t mean it,” I said.
In what point of view is this statement? ______________