RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text
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.
*First Person
First-person point of view uses "I" or "we." First person is often used when someone is stating an
opinion or sharing a feeling.
Example:
I like my freshly-painted bedroom so much that I want to jump for joy!
*Second Person
Second-person point of view uses the word "you." Second person is a good choice when giving
directions or anytime you're speaking directly to someone. Second person is almost never used to tell a
story.
Example:
"You should really come and join the group because you would probably like it a lot."
*Third Person
Third-person point of view uses "he," "she," or "they." Sometimes, "it" is used when talking about a
thing instead of a person.
Example:
Sally rode home as fast as she could. Then she jumped off her bike and ran into the house to see what
was going on.
**Third-Person Limited
In third-person limited point of view, the narrator is a non-participant but only knows the thoughts and feelings of a
single character. In other words, the narrator's knowledge of the situation is limited only to one character.
Example:
Marco felt like he had done something good for the community. He felt like a helper and wanted to do more
good things to assist those in need. But how did everybody else feel? How did Hannah and Zach feel about
their work? He would have to talk to them to find out.
**Third-Person Omniscient
In the third-person omniscient point of view, the writer is a non-participant but is able to see into and have unlimited
knowledge 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.
Example:
Marco felt like he had done something good for the community. He felt like a helper and wanted to do more
good things to assist those in need. Marco wouldn't know it until he talked to them, but Hannah and Zach
felt the same way, too. Hannah had not been able to sleep. She was excited at the thought of expanding
their project. She was sure they could provide even more toys for the children next year! Zach was already
planning ways to raise more money and get more people involved. He had even had a dream about how to
do it!
Example
Tobin and me, the two of us, went down to Coney one day. There was four dollars between us. Tobin had need of
distractions. Katie Mahorner, his sweetheart, of County Sligo, was lost since she started for America three months
before. She had two hundred dollars of her own savings, and one hundred dollars from the sale of Tobin's inherited
estate, a fine cottage and pig on the Bog Shannaugh. Since Tobin got the letter saying that she had started to come to
him, not a bit of news had he heard or seen of Katie Mahorner. Tobin advertised in the papers, but nothing could be
found of the girl.
adapted from "Tobin's Palm" by O. Henry
From which point of view is this passage written?
A. Third person omniscient
B.
Third person limited
C.
Second person
D.
First person
Practice
1.
New York Yankee slugger Jason Giambi hit two more home runs on Monday night. This gives him four in the
past two games and 25 for the season. It was the second time this season that Giambi hit two homers in backto-back games. That feat had never been accomplished in the American League. His first set of back-to-back
multihomer games came on July 20 and 21. Overall, it was Giambi's seventh multihomer game of the year.
http://www.sikids.com/news/dailyit.html
From which point of view is this passage written?
2.
You are hiking in Snake Canyon when you find yourself lost in the strange, dimly lit Cave of Time. Gradually
you can make out two passageways. One curves downward to the right; the other leads upward to the left. It
occurs to you that the one leading down may go to the past, and the one leading up may go to the future. Which
way will you choose?
from a review of The Cave of Time by Edward Packard on Amazon.com
From which point of view is this passage written?
3.
from Danny the Champion of the World
by Roald Dahl
When I was four months old, my mother died suddenly and my father was left to look after me all by himself.
This is how I looked at the time.
I had no brothers or sisters.
So all through my boyhood, from the age of four months onward, there was just us two, my father and me.
We lived in an old gypsy caravan behind a filling station. My father owned the filling station and the caravan and
a small meadow behind, but that was about all he owned in the world. It was a very small filling station on a small
country road surrounded by fields and woody hills.
While I was still a baby, my father washed me and fed me and changed my diapers and did all the millions of
other things a mother normally does for her child. That is not an easy task for a man, especially when he has to earn
his living at the same time by repairing automobile engines and serving customers with gasoline.
But my father didn't seem to mind. I think that all the love he had felt for my mother when she was alive he now
lavished upon me. During my early years, I never had a moment's unhappiness or illness, and here I am on my fifth
birthday.
1. What effect does limiting the point of view to the narrator have on the story?
A. The audience realizes that the father doesn't really love the narrator's mother.
B.
The audience sees that the narrator is loved and happy at this point of his life.
C.
The audience feels the same anger the narrator does at being an only child.
D.
The audience never gets to know how the narrator feels about his father's work.
2. How would the story be different if the audience could see the story through the father's point of view?
A. The audience might get a better sense of how much the narrator seems to miss being raised by his mother.
B.
The audience would better understand that the passing of the narrator's mother does not affect his
happiness.
C.
The audience might better understand what about the narrator's life makes it so happy and joyful.
D.
The audience would see whether or not the father truly enjoyed working at his job and raising the narrator.
3. From which point of view is this passage written?
A. Third person
B.
It shifts from first person to third person.
C.
Second person
D.
First person