POINT OF VIEW
Point of View: from which perspective the story is told
· First Person: Is told from a character that takes action, or is a part of, the story.
o Key words: I, me, we
o Example:
I was going to school one day when suddenly, this giant of a kid jumped about of the bushes and frightened me. I could have hit the kid, but then I would have gotten myself into trouble, so instead I decided to find my group of friends. We decided it would be better if we walked together to school from now on.· Second Person: Is a narrator who addresses the reader as his/her audience.
o Key words: You, your
o Example:
Grandma,Before you go to London, remember to leave your keys under the doormat. I’ll miss you.
Love, Anna
· Third Person: Is told from an outsider who is looking in and telling what is going on inside of the story (similar to someone standing outside of a window telling you what’s going on).
o Key words: He, she, they
o Example:
Jennifer was so tired after her long day of school, ballet practice and homework. All she wanted to do was to crawl into bed, but her brother had other plans. He had decided that he needed someone to play a prank on, and that day it was Jennifer.· Third person can also be broken down into 2 categories:
o Omniscient (all knowing): The narrator knows all of the thoughts and feelings of at least one character.
§ Example:
Caitlin couldn’t believe that her special day had come. Finally, after years of struggling, she would graduate with her high school class. Caitlin sat, remembering all of the teachers who had encouraged and supported her. She wished that she could thank them right then and there for helping her become a successful young woman.o Limited Omniscient: The narrator only knows the actions of the characters, but not their thoughts and feelings beyond what can be inferred.
§ Example:
George loved walking to school with his best friend, Matt. They would laugh at their sisters and make jokes about everything. Today, George had to walk to school alone, because Matt and his family had moved to a different state. George looked sad as he quietly walked to school alone.NOW YOU TRY IT
Directions: read each of the following passages and determine from which perspective the passage is narrated. If it is third-person, circle each time characters’ thoughts or feelings are narrated, and then decide whether narration is omniscient or limited omniscient.
Narrator’s Point of View: first-person, second-person, third-person objective, third-person limited, and third-person omniscient.1. Lori (The Circle of Friends, Book 1) by L. Diane Wolfe
The bell sounded and Lori heard the other girls stampede from the locker room. She finished brushing her hair and contemplated tying it up again. Now hanging past the top of her jeans, it tended to get caught on objects if she didn’t control the waves. She had maintained long hair since childhood, and despite her swimming, Lori entertained no thoughts of cutting it.
Narrator’s Perspective: ______
Explain how you know:2. Envy by Gregg Olsen
Katelyn had no idea that, not far away, someone else was doing the exact same thing—just waiting for the right time to make a move. As fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, Katelyn took off the rest of her clothes, threw them on the floor, and plunged herself into the tub. Downstairs, her mother, Sandra, stood in the kitchen and poked at the congealing remains of a prime rib roast. She yanked at her blue sweater as she pulled it tighter on her shoulders and fumed. Sandra was cold and mad. Mad and cold. She searched her kitchen counters for the espresso maker.
Narrator’s Perspective: ______
Explain how you know:3. The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make by Sean Covey
There are six key decisions you make during your teen years that can make or break your future. So, choose wisely, and don’t blow it. If you do happen to blow it, however, it’s not the end of the world. Just get back on track quickly and start making smarter choices. Being a teen today is tougher than ever. While your grandparents may have had to walk uphill to school in the snow, you have a different set of challenges to navigate.
Narrator’s Perspective: ______
Explain how you know:4. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
The other ship hung in the sky like a pendant, silver in the ether light cast by the nebula. Waverly and Kieran, lying together on their mattress of hay bales, took turns peering at it through a spyglass. They knew it was a companion vessel to theirs, but out here, in the vastness of space, it could have been as tiny as a One Man or as immense as a star.
Narrator’s Perspective: ______
Explain how you know:5. Woodsong by Gary Paulsen
The dogs were still running at a lope, though we had come over seven miles, and I was full of them; my life was full of them. We were, as it happens sometimes, dancing with winter. I could not help smiling, just smiling idiotically at the grandness of it. Part of the chant of an ancient Navajo prayer rolled through my mind: Beauty above me. Beauty above me. Beauty below me. Beauty before me… That is how I felt then and frequently still feel when I am running with dogs.
Narrator’s Perspective: ______
Explain how you know:6. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Tally smelled the village before they reached it. It made her nose wrinkle unhappily. It wasn’t just the scent of wood smoke, or the less welcome tang of animal slaughter, which she knew from watching rabbits and chickens killed for food back in the Smoke. The smell at the outskirts of the hunters’ camp was much worse, reminding Tally of the outdoor latrines the Smokies had used. That was one aspect of camping she’d never quite gotten used to.
Narrator’s Perspective: ______
Explain how you know: