- Quiz
I. What is Point of View?
Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses “who” is to tell the story by determining the point of view. Depending on who the narrator is, he/she will be standing at one point and seeing the action. This viewpoint will give the narrator a partial or whole view of events as they happen. Many stories have the protagonist telling the story, while in others, the narrator may be another character or an outside viewer, a narrator who is not in the story at all. The narrator should not be confused with the author, who is the writer of the story and whose opinions may not be those written into the narrative.
II. Examples of Point of View
Sandra Cisneros wrote a story called “Eleven.” The point of view is the perspective of 11-year-old Rachel. The story takes place at school during her birthday and is about her humiliation of receiving an old sweater. Throughout the story, she speaks in the first-person point of view, sharing her thoughts as events unfold.
“Only today I wish I didn’t have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box. Today I wish I was one hundred and two instead of eleven because if I was one hundred and two I’d have known what to say when Mrs. Price put the red sweater on my desk” (Cisneros).
A fun activity is to rewrite the story from each character’s point of view. What is the teacher thinking as she tries to get rid of this ugly red sweater in her classroom? Maybe it reminds her of her demanding mother! How does the sweater feel being tossed and pushed around, unwanted and unloved? Maybe some sweet old lady had knitted it with love for a granddaughter who now has rejected it. Why does Sylvia say it belongs to Rachel? Is she jealous of Rachel for some reason? Each character will have a slightly different story from his or her perspective.
III. Types of Point of View
First person: The example above with little Rachel is told in the first-person point of view, meaning that we are seeing events through the eyes of the character telling the story.
Second person: In second person, the narrator is speaking to YOU. This isn’t very common in fiction, unless the narrator is trying to talk to the reader personally. We see second-person point of view mostly in poems, speeches, instructional writing, and persuasive articles.
Third person: With third-person point of view, the narrator is describing what’s seen, but as a spectator. If the narrator is a character in the story, then we are reading what he or she observes as the story unfolds. This narrator has three possible perspectives.
- Limited – In limited third-person, the narrator sees only what’s in front of him/her, a spectator of events as they unfold and unable to read any other character’s mind.
- Omniscient – An omniscient narrator sees all, much as an all knowing god of some kind. He or she sees what each character is doing and can see into each character’s mind. This is common with an external character, who is standing above, watching the action below (think of a person with a crystal ball, peering in).
- Limited Omniscient – The limited omniscient third-person narrator can only see into one character’s mind. He/she might see other events happening, but only knows the reasons of one character’s actions in the story.
IV. The Importance of Point of View
Point of view is important in a story because it helps the reader understand characters’ feelings and actions. Each character will have his or her own perspective, so whoever is telling the story will impact the reader’s opinion of other characters and events.
As in the example above with Rachel and the red sweater, each point of view could be an entirely different story. Perhaps Rachel had embarrassed Sylvia horribly one day, so the sympathy we feel for Rachel in her perspective may change to sympathy for Sylvia if the point of view was switched.
Additionally, reading the story from a character in the story versus an external character changes the amount of information a reader has as the story unfolds. With an omniscient third-person, we can see everything before other characters do, which gives us forewarning about other events. With a limited third-person, we are not allowed to see other events until the narrator does so. This may leave us with more surprises as we read.
V. Examples of Point of View in Pop Culture
A very popular (and very old!) game is Mario Brothers. A gamer took the game and made a video of it in first-person point of view. It’s almost a dizzying experience to see Mario catch coins and jump around from his viewpoint.
Super Mario Bros 1 (First Person) Level 1-1
Arcades have had games with a first-person POV for years. You sit in the console to drive the car in a race, or use the pistol and fire at targets. Racing games are probably the easiest to play as a first-person. With most games, you control the character in a game, but almost from a second-person POV. You can see your character as you control it within the game space just as another character would.
VI. Examples of Point of View in Literature
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney has been cracking kids up since 2007, as the protagonist, Greg Heffley, details his experiences in his trusty journal; he claims it’s NOT a diary. He even supplies stick drawings with bubble speech to illustrate special, usually devastating or hilarious, occurrences. Written in the first-person POV, we follow him through his days with his friends and family. Greg’s dry sense of reality as he tells his sad tales leaves us giggling sympathetically – you can’t help but feel sorry for him, and many kids can relate to his frustrations. There are nine books as of 2015, each one focusing on specific conflicts Greg must overcome as he makes his way through middle school and attempts to fit in with his family.
“First of all, let me get something straight: This is a Journal, not a diary. I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn’t say “diary” on it.
Great. All I need is for some jerk to catch me carrying this book around and get the wrong idea” (Kinney 1).
http://www.funbrain.com/journal/Journal.html?ThisJournalDay=1&ThisPage=2
The book is so popular, that it was also made into a movie.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trailer
VII. Related Terms
Narrator: The narrator is the person who tells the story. There are different types of narrators, such as internal and external. Each narrator will have his or her own perspective or point of view as the story is told.
Viewpoint: Viewpoint is the perspective at which something is seen. If three people see an accident, each person will have his or her own version of what happened depending on where the person was at the time it happened.
VIII. Conclusion
Point of view is an important part of all writing. It makes stories interesting, gives research its serious tone, poems and persuasive works their personal tone, and allows readers to easily follow all writing. Keeping in mind the different types of POV and when to use them will make your writing stronger.
FAQs
Point of View: Definitions and Examples | Literary Terms? ›
Definition of Point of View
The term point of view, or POV for shorthand, refers to who is telling a story, or who is narrating it. The narration of a story or novel can be told in three main ways: first person, second person, and third person. To determine point of view, ask, 'Who is doing the talking?'
Definition of Point of View
The term point of view, or POV for shorthand, refers to who is telling a story, or who is narrating it. The narration of a story or novel can be told in three main ways: first person, second person, and third person. To determine point of view, ask, 'Who is doing the talking?'
Example: You walked the dog. Third person uses impersonal pronouns—he, she, they, it, etc. The majority of fiction is told in the third person, as is non-autobiographical work and some poetry. Example: She walked the dog.
What are the 4 types of point of view definition? ›1st person POV uses the pronouns “I” and “we.” 2nd person POV uses the pronoun “you.” 3rd person POV uses the pronouns “she,” “he,” “they,” and “it.” 3rd person limited is when the narrator only knows the thoughts of one person. 3rd person omniscient is when the narrator knows more than the thoughts of just one person.
What are the point of view terms? ›Point of view refers to who is telling or narrating a story. A story can be told from the first person, second person or third person point of view (POV). Writers use POV to express the personal emotions of either themselves or their characters.
What is definition of point for example? ›A point is a dot in a plane or a piece of paper. A point does not have any length, width or height. It determines the location or position in a plane. Put a dot on a paper and mark it as A or with any capital letter, to show a point.
What is 3 person point of view examples? ›Third person point of view is narrative style in which the narrator refers to all characters using the pronouns he, she, or they. An example of a sentence written in third person would be: She sat in the café waiting for her food to arrive. “What is taking so long?” she thought.
What is 1st 2nd and 3rd person examples? ›First Person: I, me, my, mine, we, our, us. Second Person: You, your. Third Person: He, she, it, him, her, his, hers, they, them, their, theirs.
What is an example of point of view in a sentence? ›Examples from Collins dictionaries
Thanks for your point of view, John. Try to look at this from my point of view. Do you think that, from the point of view of results, this exercise was worth the cost? The average man doing hard physical work has the best record, from the point of view of heart disease.
: a position or perspective from which something is considered or evaluated : standpoint.
What is point of view definitions for students? ›
Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses “who” is to tell the story by determining the point of view. Depending on who the narrator is, he/she will be standing at one point and seeing the action.
What is an example of 1st person point of view? ›Examples of sentences written from the first person point of view: I was only seven years old when my family moved to the United States. We took a vacation that allowed us to explore our nation from east to west and north to south. My friend and I finally relaxed once we got to the beach and waded into the ocean.
What are two examples of a point? ›Hence, the tip of a pencil and the tip of a nail are some examples of points.
What is 1st and 3rd person point of view examples? ›What is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person examples? First person uses the pronouns: I, me, my, mine, myself, we, our, ours, ourselves. Second person uses: You, your, yours, yourself. Third person uses: She, her, hers, herself, he, him, his, himself, they, them, themselves, their, theirs.
What is 2nd person examples? ›Second person is a point of view that refers to a person or people being addressed by a writer or speaker. For example, the sentence You walked across a bridge uses the second person to say what “you” (the reader or listener) did.
How do you identify the point of view? ›Simply consider who your narrator is and where they are standing. If they are a character in the story, then that is 1st-person. If they are describing the story about someone else, then that is 3rd-person. If they are communicating events that are occurring directly to the reader, then that is 2nd-person.
What are 5 example of third-person pronoun? ›The third-person pronouns include he, him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, and themselves.
What are 3 examples of third-person? ›- He was a great student.
- She succeeded in every way.
- They worked tirelessly to finish the project on time.
- The man with the funny hat sneered at those who passed by.
- Stella played the violin with maestro-like skill.
Examples of Second Person Point of View
Now that we have the second person POV definition covered, here's an example: “You feel your heart race, and the air around you seems to crystalize. But the only way forward is to move your feet.” The text directly addresses the reader, bringing them into the action of the plot.
Second person personal pronouns include you, your, and yours. Examples of sentences written from the second person point of view: You should put your cell phone in the trunk if you want to resist the temptation to use it while you are driving.
What is the 4th person point of view? ›
Fourth Person Point of View
It involves a collective perspective, using the plural pronouns we and us. This POV allows you to tell a story from the perspective of a group, rather than an individual. Since there's no singular narrative, this option is great for critiquing larger institutions and social norms.
Third Person Point of View. In third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the events of the story, and relates the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they.
What are the most common points of view? ›Third person point of view is perhaps the most commonly used perspective. It can give the author more flexibility than the other two perspectives, especially with third person multiple or omniscient. The advantage of third person is that the author can write from a broader perspective.
What is 1st 2nd and 3rd person point of view? ›In first person point of view the narrator is a character in the story telling it from their perspective. In third person point of view the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. Less common than first and third is second person point of view.
What is an example sentence expressing point of view? ›We use the expression from x's point of view to talk about a way of considering something and/or how it affects someone or something: From my point of view, nine-thirty would be better than nine o'clock, as I have to drop the children off at school for nine.
What is third person example? ›In third-person point of view, the most common choice for writers, the narrator refers to all characters with third-person pronouns like 'he', 'she', or 'they'.. In other words, the narrator is not a character in a story and is a separate entity. For example, 'Jason used his pocket money to buy himself comic books. '
What is third person example sentence? ›For example, the sentence Jeff has two sisters uses the third person. By using the name Jeff, this sentence implies that Jeff is neither the speaker (I have two sisters) nor is being directly spoken to (You have two sisters). Third person is a commonly used point of view in both writing and everyday speech.
What are 5 example of third person pronoun? ›The third-person pronouns include he, him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, and themselves.
What is 2 person point of view examples? ›Examples of Second Person Point of View
Now that we have the second person POV definition covered, here's an example: “You feel your heart race, and the air around you seems to crystalize. But the only way forward is to move your feet.” The text directly addresses the reader, bringing them into the action of the plot.
A paper using first-person point of view uses pronouns such as "I," "me," "we," and "us." A paper using second-person point of view uses the pronoun "you." A paper using third-person point of view uses pronouns such as "he," "she," "it," "they," "him," "her," "his," and "them."
What is in my view? ›
You use in my view when you want to indicate that you are stating a personal opinion, which other people might not agree with.
What is a good point sentence? ›Explanation: "Point" can be seen as an idea, a statement, or a thought. "Good point, I should have followed the instructions while building it." "Good point, I will call her to explain what happened." "That is a very good point."
How do you write a point sentence? ›- Have a thesis statement. You need to know what your paper or essay is about to determine the topic sentences. ...
- Outline your paper. ...
- Be clear and coherent. ...
- Share an opinion. ...
- Be specific in your wording. ...
- Add transitions between paragraphs.