Point of View First Person Central First Person

Point of View §First Person Central §First Person Peripheral §Third Person Limited §Third Person Omniscient §Third Person Shifting §Objective §Stream of Consciousness Jennifer Bennett Sanderson High School

Point of View (POV) • Definition: • The relationship between the story and the storyteller (narrator) • The eyes through which the story is seen • Clues to help determine POV: • Is the narrator a character in the story? • How much is narr. allowed to know? • Can the narr. get inside the characters’ heads and report their thoughts and feelings?

First Person Central POV The 1 st Person Central narrator— • uses first person pronouns (“I”) • is the main (central) character in the story—the protagonist • relates the events in which he or she is involved. • is close to the action. • gives a limited scope of the story, a limited view of the truth • readers can know only what the narrator knows and chooses to tell us.

First Person Central POV N Reader

First Person Peripheral POV • Same basic rules as First Person Central • Narrator is a character in the story • Refers to himself or herself as “I” • Tells the story as he/she sees it • Major Difference • Narrator is NOT the protagonist • Tells the protagonist’s story through his or her limited perspective

First Person Peripheral POV P N Reader

Third Person Limited POV Narrator— • tells the story through the eyes of one particular character and • refers to that character in the 3 rd person (“he” or “she”). • is not a character in the story. • reveals only the thoughts of the one character; • does not have access to the thoughts of any other character--limited to his or her perspective. • has complete access to the main character’s

Third Person Limited Pro/MC N Reader

Third Person Omniscient POV • Author becomes an all-knowing narrator with a “God’s -eye” viewpoint. • Narrator stands outside of the story and has complete access into the minds of all of the characters. • Narrator is not limited in any way--has access to past, present, and future knowledge that none of the characters may have.

Third Person Omniscient POV N Pro/MC past future present Reader

Third Person Shifting POV • Like third person limited p. o. v. but is able to shift from one character’s perspective to another’s (without making any omniscient connections between them) • Not omniscient- • can only get into one character’s mind at a time • cannot tell us anything that each character doesn’t think, feel, or know for himself/herself

Objective POV • Objective: observable facts only; no emotions; no judgments; no interpretations • Subjective: allowing emotions, judgments, and interpretations to color the objective facts • Narrator is not a character in the story; refers to characters in the third person • “Fly on the wall” or camera view • Can only reveal what we would see and hear if we were an invisible observer • Does not go into a character’s mind • Maintains extreme objectivity • Does not explain, judge, or evaluate • Faithfully records just the facts • Leaves the readers to find the meaning for themselves

Stream of Consciousness • Often uses “I” like first person p. o. v. —but not the same perspective— • presents a character’s mind in its pre-editor state as it • rambles from one level of consciousness to another • presents a character’s mind in the raw—without filters, without regard for logical sequence, chronology, syntax, or punctuation • Often makes no distinction between various levels of reality—between dreams, imaginings, memories, or real sensory perceptions

(Character Repository)

More characters/shapes

Grouped Illustrations