Point of View
Point of View
• The point of view in a work of
literature is determined by the
narrator, that is, the person telling
the story.
• This narrator may be the author or a
character in the story, book, play, or
•
poem.
First Person
If the narrator is a character in the
story, this is first person point of view.
• One way to recognize this is the use of the
pronoun “I” by the narrator.
• This is similar to hearing a person tell you
about what happened to them personally,
or what they saw happen first hand.
Third person
If the author or narrator is telling the story,
this is known as third person point of view.
• What are some pronouns that will show third
person point of view?
he, she, they, them
• There are two types of third person points of
view.
• Limited
• Omniscient
Third Person Limited
• If the author relates the events of the
story from the perspective of only one
character, this is known as third person
limited point of view.
• The reader can see into the mind of only
one person.
Thoughts of 1 character= limited
Third Person Omniscient
• If the author relates the events of the
story from the perspective of several
characters, this is known as third person
omniscient point of view.
• The reader is privy to the thoughts of
several, or even all, of the characters.
Thoughts of several/all characters= omniscient
You decide…
• Read the following excerpts. Decide
which point of view is used in each.
• Be able to provide 2 examples of
evidence for your decision.
EXAMPLE A
• Mr. Johnson looked at Charles sternly. He
simply didn’t know what to do with this
boy. Charles had been in Mr. Johnson’s
office twice earlier this week. Now here
he was again, and this time he was charged
with something much more serious. Mr.
Johnson shook his head. There really was
no doubt in his mind. Charles was guilty.
He looked at the police officer standing
next to Charles. No question whatsoever-Charles had done it.
EXAMPLE A
• Mr. Johnson looked at Charles sternly. He
simply didn’t know what to do with this
boy. Charles had been in Mr. Johnson’s
office twice earlier this week. Now here
he was again, and this time he was charged
with something much more serious. Mr.
Johnson shook his head. There really was
no doubt in his mind. Charles was guilty.
He looked at the police officer standing
next to Charles. No question whatsoever-Charles had done it.
Which point of view?
• Excerpt A was Third Person Limited.
The author, not a character, is telling
the story. We can see only what Mr.
Johnson is thinking. We know what
Mr. Johnson thinks, but we do not
know what the officer or Charles
thinks. We also do not know whether
or not Charles is really guilty.
Example B
• I can’t believe what is happening to me. I
know that I’ll never convince Mr. Johnson
and the cop that I had nothing to do with
this. Man! I didn’t do it. Why won’t
anyone believe me? I’ve been in trouble
before, but I’ve never done anything like
this! I’ve got to convince them, or I might
as well kiss my life good-bye.
Example B
• I can’t believe what is happening to me. I
know that I’ll never convince Mr. Johnson
and the cop that I had nothing to do with
this. Man! I didn’t do it. Why won’t
anyone believe me? I’ve been in trouble
before, but I’ve never done anything like
this! I’ve got to convince them, or I might
as well kiss my life good-bye.
Which point of view?
Excerpt B is an example of First
Person Point of View. Charles, a
character in the story, is telling us
what happened to him. We know that
Charles is innocent.
Example C
• Officer Wiley looked at Charles and
scratched his head. All the evidence
pointed to Charles’s guilt, but the officer
just couldn’t be sure. Mr. Johnson, on the
other hand, knew that Charles was guilty
as sin. His numerous brushes with
authority in the past left no question in his
mind at all. Charles hung his head, knowing
that this time he would not be able to talk
his way out of trouble.
Example C
• Officer Wiley looked at Charles and scratched his
head. All the evidence pointed to Charles’s guilt,
but the officer just couldn’t be sure. Mr.
Johnson, on the other hand, knew that Charles
was guilty as sin. His numerous brushes with
authority in the past left no question in his mind
at all. Charles hung his head, knowing that this
time he would not be able to talk his way out of
trouble.
Which point of view?
Excerpt C is an example of Third Person
Omniscient Point of View. The author is
telling the story, but we can see what
Officer Wiley, Charles, and Mr. Johnson
are thinking. We know that Mr. Johnson
believes Charles is guilty, but Officer
Wiley has doubts. We still are not sure
whether or not Charles is guilty.
Example D
• When I saw them taking Charlie into the
office, I lingered outside the door, hoping
to find out what he had done this time.
Charlie was my best friend, but I was
getting a little tired of defending him
when I knew he was wrong. He must have
done something really big this time to have
the cops involved.
Example D
• When I saw them taking Charlie into the
office, I lingered outside the door, hoping
to find out what he had done this time.
Charlie was my best friend, but I was
getting a little tired of defending him
when I knew he was wrong. He must have
done something really big this time to have
the cops involved.
Which point of view?
Excerpt D is an example of First
Person Point of View. A friend, one
of the characters in the story, is
narrating. Since he does not know
whether or not Charles is guilty,
neither do we.
Example E
• You kick off your shoes and flop onto the
bed—landing, of course, among millions of
mites. Had you any inkling that your
bedding was alive with arthropodic bugs,
chomping away on flakes of your dead skin,
you would be so disgusted you would
probably choose to lie on the floor. Yet
every one of us, including the rich, the
pious, and the royal of blood, sleeps each
night in colonies of such mites.
Example E
• You kick off your shoes and flop onto the
bed—landing, of course, among millions of
mites. Had you any inkling that your
bedding was alive with arthropodic bugs,
chomping away on flakes of your dead skin,
you would be so disgusted you would
probably choose to lie on the floor. Yet
every one of us, including the rich, the
pious, and the royal of blood, sleeps each
night in colonies of such mites.
Which point of view?
• Excerpt E is an example of Second
Person Point of View. The narrator is
telling a story directly to another
character. The reader may be
confused and believe the narrator is
talking to them.