Point+of+View

[] Who is the narrator? Does the narrator tell the story in first person or third person? How much of the world can the narrator perceive (omniscient or limited)? How does the vantage point of the narrator affect the meaning of the story? How would the story change if the narrator changed? The story has an author, a narrator, and characters, not to be confused with each other. If the narrator and a character in the story are one and the same, you have a story told in first person. If they are separate, you have a story told in third person, of which there are three different types, depending on the amount of knowledge the narrator has about the inner feelings and thoughts of the characters. Literature provides a lens through which readers look at the world. Point of view is the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" what's going on. Skillful authors can fix their readers' attention on exactly the detail, opinion, or emotion the author wants to emphasize by manipulating the point of view of the story.

In the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. When reading stories in the first person, we need to realize that what the narrator is recounting might not be the objective truth. We should question the trustworthiness of the accounting.
 * First Person Point of View **

Example: 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.

In this case, the author uses //you// and //your//, is rare; authors seldom speak directly to the reader. When you encounter this point of view, pay attention. Why? The author has made a daring choice, probably with a specific purpose in mind. Most times, second-person point of view draws the reader into the story, almost making the reader a participant in the action.
 * Second Person** **Point of View**

Example: 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.

Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.
 * Third Person Point of View**

**Omniscient:** A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing, or omniscient. Example:

As the girl walked up the hill, she realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet.

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.


 * Limited: **A narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view.

Example: 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. She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone. Nevertheless, she shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.