Understanding Point of View: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Person

• Point of view is the persepctive from which the story or work is told
• Point of view is also defined as the eyes and mind through which the reader views the unfolding events
• Dialogue is when characters speak
• Narration is when the narrator speaks
• Quotation marks separate narration from dialogue

Types of Point of View

• First Person POV is used when the narrator is a character in the story
• First Person POV is identifiable by the use of the pronoun "I"
• In First Person POV, the narrator can be the protagonist, a participant in the action, a bystander, or even a frame narrator
• Second Person POV is the rarest narrative voice in literature
• In Second Person POV, the narrator refers to the reader as "you," making the reader feel as if they are a character in the story
• Third Person POV occurs when the narrator does not take part in the story, relating events but not being one of the characters

Third Person Objective

• Often referred to as Dramatic point of view because the story is narrated as if he is a mere spectator of events
• Third Person Objective contains no references to thoughts or feelings, reporting only what can be seen and heard
• In Third Person Objective, a narrator tells a story without describing any of the character's thoughts, opinions, or feelings; instead presenting an objective, unbiased point of view

Third Person Limited

• The narrator can relate to what is in the mind of only one character, knowing only what that character knows
• In Third Person Limited, there is a view of that character's thoughts and feelings

Third Person Omniscient

• The narrator can render information from anywhere, including the thoughts and feelings of any characters
• Third Person Omniscient allows the narrator to explore the story's setting and beyond
• In Third Person Omniscient, the narrator is not a character in the story and can tell what any or all characters are feeling and thinking
• In Third Person Omniscient, the narrator knows things that others do not, can make comments about what's happening, and can see inside the minds of other characters

Identifying the Point of View in Texts

• In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the point of view is Third Person Omniscient
• "When the bus came, I got on, carrying my pink backpack. It was the first day of school, and I was nervous. I smiled, though when I saw my bestfriend Kevin sitting in the back" is First Person POV
• "All the same, he's a good man, truthful, kind and remarkable in his sphere,” Anna said to herself, going back to her room, as if defending him before someone who was accusing him and saying that it was impossible to love him, “but why do his ears stick out oddly? Did he have to have his hair cut?" is Third Person Limited
• "First, you will need to wash your hands and gather all of your materials. Once you've done that, follow all of the directions in your cookbook. Put your crispy treats in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes. Once the treats are cooled, you and your friends can enjoy" is Second Person POV
• "Odin brushed the snowflakes off of his sword and replied, “I will never accept a peace treaty from the Hamburgs. They are our sworn enemies and so long as I can hold a sword, I will point it at Hamburgs.” Epee looked at him and wrinkled her face" is Third Person Objective
• "You are amongst them, of course. Your curiosity got the better of you, as curiosity is wont to do. You stand in the fading light, the scarf around your neck pulled up against the chilly evening breeze, waiting to see for yourself exactly what kind of circus only opens once the sun sets" is Second Person POV
• "Only fools climbed to the surface. It was stupid to put yourself in danger like that”, my mother always said. Not only were there near-constant debris showers from the rubble belt, but I never knew when the Krell would attack" is First Person POV
• "Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barrelled shotgun because of anger, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead, and pulled the trigger" is Third Person Objective
• "The first night you met, a night you both negate as too brief an encounter, you pull your friend Samuel to the side. There's a bunch of you in the basement of this south-east London pub. A birthday celebration. Most on their way to drunk, or jolly, depending on which they'd prefer" is Second Person POV
• "If this story is to be something resembling my book of deeds, we must begin at the beginning. At the heart of who I truly am" is First Person POV