MINI LESSONS FOR
THE OUTSIDERS
MINI LESSON # 1: POINT OF VIEW
Point of View is the vantage point from which an author presents a story. Point
of view is shaped by the author's choice of narrator, the person who tells the
story. A story may be told from the first-person point of view or the thirdperson point of view. The use of the third-person pronouns she, he, they, him,
and her signals that a story is told from the third-person point of view. The use
of the pronoun I indicates the first-person point of view.
First-person Point of View
Stories told in the first-person point of view use I, me, our, we, or my. The
narrator is a character in the story, usually but not always the main character. A
story told from one person's point of view limits that character's knowledge to
his or her own observations and ideas. Not all narrators are reliable, so they
may be biased in their view of characters or events. You must judge whether
someone is a reliable narrator based on other details from the story.
Third-person Point of View
Told by a narrator who is not a part of the story's action, the thirdperson point of
view uses pronouns such as he, she, and they. If the third-person narrator
appears to know what everyone in the story is thinking and feeling, the point of
view is called omniscient. Most stories, however, limit the narrator's knowledge
to what the protagonist thinks and feels. Such a point of view is called limited.
The first-person narrator can be
right or wrong about the events of
the story or the motives of the
other characters; he can tell the
truth, or lie; he can understand the
story, or he may not; his hopes,
dreams, fears, prejudices — in
short, his emotional and
psychological qualities — all are
taken into account by the reader in
interpreting what is being told by
the narrator. This complexity
makes first person an extremely
vivid and lifelike means of
narration.
ASSIGNMENT
Ponyboy is the narrator of The Outsiders. What
internal conflicts does he face? What external
conflicts? What does he consider to be unique
about himself? At this point in the novel, do you
think he is comfortable with the person that he is?
Support your answer with references to the text.
Is Ponyboy a reliable narrator? Consider his
maturity and his view of his situation in life. What
bias does he bring to our understanding of the
story? Do you agree with his perception of the
situations he finds himself in.