Identifying Character Point of View in Literature

Questions and Answers

What does a first-person narrative allow a reader to experience?

A cold, unapproachable distance from the character's emotions

An objective view of the character's thoughts

A direct transfer of the character's emotions (correct)

A moral judgment about the character's actions

What is the effect of a third-person objective narrative on the reader's experience?

It creates a strong emotional connection with the character

It forces the reader to witness the emotion from a close distance

It creates a sense of detachment from the character's emotions (correct)

It allows the reader to influence the character's actions

How can different points of view change a reader's experience with a literary work?

They create a sense of confusion and disorientation

They make the reader more objective and critical

They do not affect the reader's experience at all

They imply different connections with the reader, changing the understanding of the work's primary aim (correct)

What is the primary advantage of a first-person narrative?

It enables emotion to come across very clearly to the reader Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of different points of view on a single scene?

They can radically change the reader's experience with the scene Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the reader and the character's emotions in a first-person narrative?

The reader directly experiences the character's emotions Signup and view all the answers

What can different points of view change in a reader's understanding of a literary work?

The work's primary aim, moral, or message Signup and view all the answers

How do different points of view affect the reader's emotional experience?

They can radically change the reader's emotional experience Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between a first-person and a third-person objective narrative?

The distance between the reader and the character's emotions Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of point of view in a literary work?

It affects the reader's emotional experience and understanding of the work Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Character Point of View

Character point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is narrated, with many different "lenses" through which a narrator can tell a story.
Every story has a narrative perspective, and being able to identify the point of view and its potential advantages or disadvantages is useful and important.

Difference Between Perspective and Point of View

Perspective refers to how a character views a situation, governing their actions and responses.
Point of view regards the specific lens through which a narrator tells a tale, looking at how an audience interacts with the story.
Perspective is an in-story framework, whereas point of view is an external framework.

Types of Character Point of View

There are three main points of view: first person, second person, and third person.
Third-person point of view is further broken down into three categories: third-person limited, third-person omniscient, and third-person objective.

First-Person Point of View

Involves direct narration from a character that is (or was) present for the events of the story.
Uses direct personal pronouns such as "I," "me," or "we."
Places the character (and reader) directly into the action via the narrator.
Example: The Martian by Andy Weir.

Second-Person Point of View

Involves direct narration from a character to the audience, where the audience is (or was) present for the events of the story.
Uses pronouns such as "you."
Creates a strange engagement with the text, as telling the audience what they have or are doing creates an unusual dynamic.
Example: The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie.

Third-Person Point of View

Involves indirect narration about a character.
Uses pronouns such as "he," "she," "it," or "they."
Can be further divided into three categories: limited, omniscient, and objective.

Third-Person Omniscient Point of View

Has the fewest restrictions, allowing the narrator to relay any information, regardless of how many characters would know it.
Can slip into the mind of any character to explain their thoughts, motivations, or feelings.
Example: Middlemarch by George Elliot.

Third-Person Limited Point of View

Restricts the narration to a number of specific viewpoints.
Relays events with pronouns such as "he," "she," or "it," but never supplies information that a specific character wouldn't know.
Typically revolves around a single character, restricting itself to the same information that a first-person story would convey.
Example: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.

Third-Person Objective Point of View

Has the greatest restrictions on the information given by a narrator.
Operates from no particular character viewpoint, regarding a situation from an exterior perspective.
Describes events only by their physical implications, never moving into the interiority of any character.
Example: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Choosing a Point of View

Each different character point of view has different advantages and disadvantages.
First-person narratives place the audience very close to the narrating character, but second-person narratives strain suspension of disbelief.
Third-person narratives are the most flexible, but come with the price of character contact and narrative immediacy.

Significance of a Character's Point of View

Different points of view can radically change a reader's emotional experience with a text.
First-person narratives enable emotion to come across very clearly, while third-person objective narratives force a reader to witness emotion from a cold, unapproachable distance.
Point of view can change a reader's experience with a literary work, creating a radically different understanding of the primary aim, moral, or message.