Point of View

16 April 2012

What is point of view?

Point of View is– Perspective– Viewpoint– Outlook– Standpoint and/or– View

The author decides

• Who will speak• Who will tell the story• Who will observe/describe for the reader

Remember

The choice of point of view is deliberate. The author chooses the point of view for its affect on the story.

Types of Point of View

• There are two types of point of view.– Participant – Nonparticipant

Participant Point of View

• First person– First person pronouns: I, me, my, we, us, our

• Narrator can be– Major character or – Minor character

Types of First Person

• Innocent eye narrator• Stream of consciousness• Adult vs childhood point of view

Innocent Eye Narrator

• A child or a disabled adult with a childlike minds tells the story– Considered “innocent” or “naïve”– Irony may occur as a result of the contrast

between what the innocent eye narrator perceives and what the reader understands

Stream of Consciousness

• Internal monologue• Author tells the story in a non-ending flow of

words that represents the character’s thoughts

Adult vs Childhood Point of View

• Two points of view in the same character’s life may be represented in the same story– Example: To Kill A Mockingbird Story of child Scout

told by adult Scout

Why Do Authors Use Participant Point of View?

1. First person narrator has one on one relationship with other characters– Easy and enjoyable to write

2. First person narrator is a looker and a teller– Watches what others do and can help advance the

plot, helps author control plot

3. First person narrator can help the reader by pulling events together– Can step aside and think about what has happened,

develop theories about the meaning of what is happening, this is helpful to the reader

Why Do Authors Use Participant Point of View? Continued

4. First person emphasizes the now rather than later– Reader knows what is happening immediately

5. Writer can leave the thoughts and situations of other characters unknown– Tension, suspense, and mystery arises

Why Do Authors Use Participant Point of View? Continued

6. The first person narrator interprets what a character observes and feels, his/her conclusion may not always be credible

7. Reader may question the validity and accuracy of the narrator’s observations and interpretations