Point of View,Point of View,Theme and MoralTheme and Moral

NotesNotes

Notes on Point of ViewPoint of View is the perspective from which the story is told. There are six main points of view. Not all are used in short stories (numbers 1-4 are most common).

Point of View Types:1. First Person (major character) - The

narrator is either the protagonist or the antagonist; uses the pronoun “I”.

2. First Person (minor character) - The narrator is one of the other characters in the story; uses the pronoun “I”.

Points of View Types (con’t)3. Third Person Omniscient (“Omni”

means all and “science” mean knowledge; therefore, “omniscient” means all knowing) narrator is not a character, but reveals the thoughts and feelings of all the characters; uses the pronouns “he” or “she”.

Points of View Types (con’t)4. Third Person Limited Omniscient - The

narrator is not a character, but reveals the thoughts and feelings of ONLY ONE character (knowledge is LIMITED to one character); uses the pronouns “he” or “she”.

Points of View Types (con’t)5. Third Person Objective - The narrator

writes what is observed without knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of any of the characters; uses the pronouns “he” or “she”.

Points of View Types (con’t)6. Stream of consciousness used in

journal writing; writing without giving thought to form or structure; letting thoughts flow onto the page.

Notes on Theme and Moral• Theme and Moral are often confused, BUT

they are very different• Theme: a GENERAL statement that the

author, in writing the story, makes about society, people and life in general.

• Moral: a statement that the author, in writing the story, makes to the reader as a type of warning or lesson to be taught.

To Determine Theme and Moral1. Determine the topic of the story

For Example: the topic might be of “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” might be the aging process, learning from life’s lessons, or greed.

2. Ask yourself what statement the story makes about that topic?

3. A general statement qualifies as a theme and a lesson statement qualifies as a moral.

The Aging Process:Theme: as people grow older, they often

desire to find a way to recapture their youth.

Moral: People should place value on the wisdom that comes through aging.

Learning from Life’s Lessons:Theme: People who examine and learn

from their life experiences are likely to be more content with their lives.

Moral: One who does not learn from one’s mistakes is bound to repeat them.

Greed:Theme: Most people, when faced with a

tempting situation, will discover an element of greed within themselves.

Moral: No good can come from a greedy heart.

Other Theme/Moral Terms:Motif: reoccurring ideas or images that

help to develop the theme.

Satire: ridiculing or poking fun at a topic, usually within the hope of bringing about a change.