First Person Point of View

1. First Person Point of View By: Krista M. Antonis-Wagner 27-February-2003

2. Definitions • Point of View –The perspective from which an author lets the reader view the action of a narrative; thus, the choice of who tells the story. In first-person narration the narrator tells a story her or she took part in or observed directly; such a narrator usually knows only what has been explicitly revealed, or what he or she has been able to deduce from that. In third-person narration the narrator is not directly involved in the story and so views it from a certain distance. Such a narrator may be omniscient about the characters and their actions and motivations, or his or her knowledge may be limited to what one or a few characters know, or even to the plainly observable speeches and acts of the characters. • First-Person-The telling of a story by a person who was involved in or directly observed an action narrated. Such a narrator refers to himself or herself as I and becomes a character in the story, with his or her understanding shaping the reader’s perception of the events and characters. • Third-Person- The telling of a story by a detached, usually anonymous narrator, a voice who refers to all the characters as he, she, and they. Such a narrator may view the story with full omniscience, which may or may not be impartial omniscience; or he or she may have only limited omniscience, seeing through the eyes of only one of a few characters. • Omniscient -Literally, “all-knowingness”; the ability of an author or a narrator (usually a third-person narrator) to tell the reader directly about any events that have occurred, are occurring, or will occur in the plot of a story, and about the thoughts and feelings of anycharacter. (limited or impartial)

3. Points of View - Perspectives • 1st person – I threw the snowball at Jack. • 2nd person - You threw the snowball at Jack. • 3rd person – He threw the snowball at Jack.

4. Personal Pronouns • 1st person - I, we, me, us, my, mine, our, ours • 2nd person – you, your, yours • 3rd person - he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, their, theirs

5. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

19. Click on the Wolf to read the Wolf’s Version(example of First-Person) Click to hear him growl..grrr! Click on the Pig to go to experience a Web Quest on the Three Little Pigs.

20. Which story is in first person?(Click on the story to read) • 1. Araby--James Joyce • 2. The Ambitious Guest--Nathaniel Hawthorne • 3. The Gift of the Magi--O. Henry • 4. The Lady, or the Tiger?--Frank Stockton

21. What perspective? • This story,The Lottery--Shirley Jackson, is being told from the First-Person Point of View? (click on the story to read) • A. TRUE • B. FALSE

22. INCORRECT…Try Again!

23. CORRECT! • This story is being told from the Third-Person Omniscient Point of View.

24. CORRECT! This story is in the First-Person Narrative Point of View because throughout the story, the narrator uses the pronouns I and me, etc. when referring to himself.

25. INCORRECT…Try Again! • The Ambitious GuestbyNathaniel Hawthorne is in Third-Person Omniscient Point of View.

26. INCORRECT…Try Again! • The Gift of the Magiby O. Henryis in Third-Person Omniscient Point of View.

27. INCORRECT…Try Again! • The Lady, or the Tiger?by Frank Stockton is in Third Person Omniscient Point of View.

28. Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King’s horses And all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

29. Humpty’s Perspective • One member of the group could opt to be Humpty. Here are some questions to ponder: • What would I, as Humpty, be doing on the wall in the first place? • How would I fall? Did someone push me? Was there some sort of plot to destroy me? If so, who was in charge of this plot? Why was there a plot against me? • Explain the pain that you, as Humpty, would be in to be cracked, literally? How would you react to the fall, if someone had indeed pushed you? • Explain the scenario with the king’s men and the king’s horses. Describe the mass chaos, embarrassment, and confusion. • Why would you be impossible to reconstruct? What happens next?

30. Soldier’s Perspective • Another member of your group could opt to be a soldier in the king's army. Here are some questions to ponder: • What is my ranking in the army? How long have I been in service for the king? • Working with the group, and deciding how Humpty would have fallen, how does this affect me as a soldier? Was I part of the conspiracy? • Did I know that there was a price on Humpty's head but chose to ignore it? • What were my feelings on being asked to assist in aiding the fallen "person?" • What about my loyalty to the king? Would it be in question if I chose not to aid this "person?" • Did I have friends in the army with me who were part of the plan to destroy Humpty Dumpty? Did I act alone?

31. Nursery Rhymes Time to choose the nursery rhyme you want to recreate using the first person narrative point of view. • Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe • Little Jack Horner • Little Miss Muffet • Tom The Piper’s Son • Hey Diddle Diddle(more challenging) • Choose your own

32. Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; She had so many children she didn’t know what to do; She gave them some broth without any bread, She whipped them all round and sent them to bed.

33. Little Jack Horner Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, Eating his Christmas pie. He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, and said, "What a good boy am I!"

34. Little Miss Muffet Little Miss Muffet, She sat on a tuffet, Eating of curds and whey; There came a big spider And sat down beside her, And frightened Miss Muffet away.

35. Tom The Piper’s Son Tom, Tom, the piper’s son, Stole a pig and away he run; The pig was eat And Tom was beat, And Tom went howling down the street.

36. Hey Diddle Diddle Hey Diddle Diddle! The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; The little dog laughed To see such sport, And the dish ran away with the spoon.

37. Choose your own Nursery Rhyme(Click the picture to go to the web site)

38. Web Scavenger Hunt(Click the picture to go to the site)

39. Acknowledgements • Numerous internet websites were used to enhance this power point presentation…all of the sites are hyperlinked throughout the presentation. • Power Point Backgrounds courtesy of www.powerpointart.com • Microsoft clip art and Animation Factory