22 October 2012

Point of View is the position (vantage point) from which the story is told.

First Person: the story is told by one of the characters; the character participates in the action. Character uses pronouns such as:▪ I▪ me▪ Mine▪ We

Since the narrator is a character in the story, he/she may not be completely reliable.

The reader only finds out what this character knows, feels, or experiences.

As I walked up the hill, I realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who was nearly always singing from the top of the maple tree. I thought I saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when I looked again it was gone. Still, I shuddered as I felt a silent threat pass over me like a cloud over the sun.

Second person makes you, the reader, one of the characters in the story.

As you walk up the hill, you realize that the atmosphere's just too quiet. There's no sound from the cardinal you know is almost always singing from the top of the maple tree. You think you see a shadow move high up on the slope, but when you look again it's gone. You shudder as you feel a silent threat pass over you. You feel cold, like a cloud just passed over the sun.

Third Person: story is told by a narrator who is not a character in the story.▪ The narrator uses pronouns like:▪He/She▪His/Her▪Them▪They▪ It/Its

          As she walked up the hill, she realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who she so often heard singing from the top of the maple tree.

      He saw her start up the hill, and he moved quickly behind the shelter of the huge old maple tree. If she saw him now, everything would be ruined.

She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone.

If he could just stay hidden until she came within range, he thought, then she'd have to talk to him. Wouldn't she?

She shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.

The narrator is all-knowing and will be able to tell the reader all of the thoughts and all of the feelings that all of the characters have.

The narrator can see into the minds of all of the characters, and can tell the reader what the characters thought, said, felt, and done.

The cardinal tipped his head back and drew breath to sing, but just as the first note passed his beak he heard the crack of a dead branch far below his perch high in the maple tree. Startled, he looked down, cocking his head to one side and watching with great interest while the man rattled the blades of grass as he tried to hide himself behind the tree.

            As the man saw her start up the hill, he moved quickly into the shelter of the huge old maple tree. If she saw him now, everything would be ruined.

            She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone.

            The man thought if he could stay hidden until she came within range, she'd have to talk to him. Wouldn't she?

            The girl shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.

the narrator will relate the thoughts or feelings of just one character (usually the protagonist) rather than knowing what all of the characters think, feel, and experience.

The narrator is NOT a character in the story.

The narrator is just an observer and can only tell the reader what is said and done by the characters.

The narrator can not see into the minds of the characters.

How does the point of view affect your reaction to the characters?

How your response to the character is influenced by how much the narrator knows and objective he/she is?

First person narrators are not always trustworthy. It is up to you to determine what is truth and what is not.