How to Understand Point of View

Point of view (POV) is the unique perspective given by the narrator in a piece of fiction or nonfiction. The reader senses the world of the story, hears characters and perceives the behaviors of characters and the action through the narrator’s point of view. The POV directly influences how the reader experiences the story.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Understand first person: First person is told from the “I” perspective. This POV places the reader in the narrator’s head and with the narrator’s voice. A first-person narrative does not have to be from the protagonist’s POV. “The Great Gatsby’s” narrator is not the main character. It is limited because the reader can only experience the action of the story from the point-of-view character. The reader will not know other characters’ true thoughts and feelings unless other characters express them in dialog, or their behavior gives them away. However, the first-person narrator can misperceive or not completely understand the actions of other characters. The narrator will also have certain biases and values that will color how she sees the world and those around her. This makes all first-person narrators somewhat unreliable; an unreliable narrator is not credible, and the reader has to judge what is and isn’t true. First person is sometimes unfairly viewed as the POV of choice for newer writers because it’s easier to write. However, there are times when first person is the more appropriate way to present a story.

2. Understand third-person limited: This point of view uses the pronoun “he” or “she,” based upon the focus character. Third person limited is similar to first person, but it is not as intimate. While the reader is in the first-person narrator’s head, he is distanced somewhat from the third-person limited narrator. It’s like the reader is looking over the narrator’s shoulder or walking behind her. Like first person, third-person limited gives the reader the focus character’s perceptions on events, thoughts and feelings. This point of view can also provide a somewhat unreliable narrator. It is possible to tell a story from multiple third-person limited POVs. The story can shift from character to character to reveal what is going on in the story and how the characters are responding to events.

3. Understand third-person objective: Third-person objective is like third-person limited, but it does not give the reader any of the characters’ internal thoughts.

4. Understand third-person omniscient: This point of view uses a “godlike” narrator. The narrator is aware of all characters’ thoughts and feelings and action in the story. The omniscient narrator may follow one character around and give the perspectives of characters he encounters or it may follow several characters. Third-person omniscient is not as popular as it used to be.

5. Understand second person: Seen as more experimental, second person uses the pronoun “you” and has the effect of placing the reader in the story. The “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, “Bright Lights, Big City” and “If upon a winter’s night a traveler” all use second person. Some readers and editors see second-person narration as gimmicky. But if you’re a writer thinking about using this POV or a reader, consider why it is the most appropriate point of view for the story.

Tips & Warnings

• If you’re analyzing a story, think about how it would be different if it were told from another point of view. This can give you an idea as to why the writer picked the POV she did.
• Consider the strengths and weaknesses of a limited point of view.
• Consider the strengths and weaknesses of an omniscient point of view.

[miasavc]

on 12/26/2008 Insightful! I learned something new...