Elements of Literature: Point of View

1. Elements of Literature:Point of View Through Whose Eyes?

2. Omniscient Point of View • The all-knowing point of view ( In Latin, omnis means “all” and sciens means “knowing”) • The narrator is above the action, looking down on it like a god • This narrator can tell you everything about all the characters, even their most private thoughts

3. First-Person Point of View • 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

4. First-Person Point of View “I couldn’t believe that my parents were actually going to make me marry a slimy, ugly, bulgy-eyed frog! They didn’t feel sorry for me at all! All they cared about was a stupid promise I never thought I’d have to keep.”

5. Third-Person Limited Point of View • A narrator zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of just one character in the story • This point of view helps us share that character’s reactions to the story’s events

6. Third-Person Limited Point of View “ The princess tried desperately to get out of her promise. It was all her parent’s fault, she thought. They were so unfair. But she had only herself to blame- and the frog. ‘I wonder if the royal chef knows how to cook frogs’ legs?’ she said to herself.”

7. As you read a piece of fiction think about these things: How does the point of view affect your responses to the characters? How is your response influenced by how much the narrator knows and how objective he or she is? Point of View…Experiment With It!

8. Essential Question How does an individual’s point of view affect perspective and interpretation?