EXPLORINGPOINT OF VIEW

REMEMBER: Point of view explains HOW the story is told and who is telling the story.

First Person Point of ViewThe narrator is one of the characters in the story.

First person pronouns, such as I, me, my, and mine are used in telling the story.

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

We find out only what this character knows, thinks, and witnesses.

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 Point of View

Second person pronouns such as you, your, and yours are used.

Most stories are not told in second person. It is reserved for items of personal address,such as letters.

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 Objective

The narrator is not a character in the story.

Third person pronouns such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story.

The narrator is an observer who can only tell what is said and done.

The narrator cannot see into the minds of any of the characters.

We find out only what the characters say and do.

The girl walked up the quiet hillside.            In the top of the maple tree, the cardinal tipped his head back and drew breath to sing. A dead branch cracked on the ground below the bird's perch.            The man stepped on the branch and rattled the blades of grass as he moved behind the tree. He watched the girl come up the hillside toward him.            Her gaze shifted quickly and warily from one shadowy area high on the slope to another, and she shuddered.

Third person Omniscient The narrator is all-knowing

The narrator can include thoughts and perspective of all characters

It’s as if the narrator is in the minds of ALL the characters

I imagine this POV having the "camera" floating around the ceiling somewhere - able to see all, even into everybody's thoughts.

An example might make this clearer:

John laughed hollowly. “You’re joking,” he said, wondering how on earth he would ever get over this.

Veronica shook her head slowly. Her heart was breaking at having to tell him this news.

John stood up and banged his fist against the wall, hard, once, but that did nothing to disperse the fury coursing through him. He still couldn’t believe it. “I’ll have to leave now,” he said, thinking that he couldn’t bear to stay there another moment.

Veronica nodded slowly. He was upset now, but she knew he'd get over it. 

You see the way we knew what both characters were thinking, even within the same scene?

“Day after day, I flew to the store, grandpa would shake his head. Then on a Monday, as I entered the store, I sensed a change in him. He was in high spirits, talking and laughing with half a

dozen farmers. Every time I caught his eye, he would smile and wink at me. I thought the

farmers would never leave, but finally the store was empty” (p. 25).

What Point of View is Where the Red Fern Grows written in?

Prove it with a quote as evidence

THE END!!!!