PERSPECTIVEAlso known as “Point of View”

KEY IDEAS Definition First-Person Perspective Second-Person Perspective Third-Person Perspective

WHAT IS PERSPECTIVE

A specified or stated manner of consideration or appraisal; a standpoint

An opinion, attitude or judgment

The position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator’s outlook from which the events are depicted and by the attitude toward the characters

WHAT IS FIRST-PERSON PERSPECTIVE? Narrator uses “I, me, my, we, our” as descriptive

pronouns

Story is told from a main character’s perspective

PRO to first person perspective: Readers often understand the main character better than other characters

CON to first person perspective: Readers often only see one perspective, that of the main character, who may be unreliable

WHAT IS SECOND-PERSON PERSPECTIVE? Narrator uses “You, your, yours, yourself” as descriptive

pronouns

This type of perspective is rare, and is usually in the form of the narrator talking to his/herself

WHAT IS THIRD-PERSON PERSPECTIVE? There are three types of third-person perspectives:

Omniscient All knowing: the narrator sees into the minds of all characters

Limited Omniscient Narrator can see into only one character’s mind, but doesn’t use

“I, we, etc.” Gives the impression that we are very close to the main

character’s mind, but not entirely inside; we don’t get to know ALL thoughts and details as they think

Objective Narrator only describes and does– he/she doesn’t enter

characters’ thoughts Like a video camera, the narrator tells what characters do and

say, not think

REVIEW Questions?