Point of View The narrator

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Point of ViewThe narrators relationshipto
the story
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Why it is important

• An authors point of view choice influences how
  the story is revealed to the reader.
• Point of view affects your responses to the
  story. Your responses are influenced by how much
  the narrator knows.

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Why it is important

• Narrators are not always objective and
  trustworthy. It is up to you to determine what is
  the truth and what is not.

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Narrator

• Think of a narrator as a guide, someone who takes
  the reader from place to place, scene to scene,
  pointing out objects of interest along the way.
  The narrator may be a character in the story who
  has a major impact on the readers or it could be
  a trustworthy, reliable observer.

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Objective

• With the objective point of view, the writer
  tells what happens without participating in the
  story's action and dialogue. The narrator never
  discloses anything about what the characters
  think or feel, remaining a detached, objective
  observer.

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Example

• Think of the objective POV as a camera recording
  what is said and done during a specific period of
  time. We cannot know what happens before or after
  the camera is turned on and we cannot read
  peoples mind while they are on camera.
• Plays, drama

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First Person

• Narrator is a character who does participate in
  the action of the story
• First person point of view uses "I" or "We.
  Narrators recounting might not be the objective
  truth.
• Question the trustworthiness of the accounting.

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Example

• I had a view of their kitchen and their
  backyard, although I could not hear what they
  said, I knew when they were arguing, when one of
  them was sick, and many other things. I knew all
  this by watching them at mealtimes.

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Third Person Limited

• A non-participant narrator
• Narrator has omniscient (all knowing) knowledge
  that is limited to one character (usually the
  protagonist)

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Third Person Limited

• Uses pronouns he or she
• The way people, places, and events appear to that
  character is the way they appear to the reader

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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.

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Third Person Omniscient

• A non-participant narrator who knows everything
  about all the characters is all knowing, or
  omniscient.
• Refers to all characters with he or she

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Third Person Omniscient

• The Narrator can move back forth from place to
  place and time to time
• Narrator knows thoughts and feelings of all
  characters and may even reveal details the
  characters themselves do not know

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Example

• Marco felt like he had done something good for
  the community. 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!

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Steps to finding POV

• Check the pronouns
• Look for feelings
• Question past and future
• Count the characters the narrator knows about