SPI 0701.8.2

I can identify an author’s point of view.

Types of Point of View

First PersonThird Person

LimitedOmniscient

•the narrator provides all the information about the story •A character within the story tells the story from his/her viewpoint•Uses First Person Pronouns

• I, me, myself, my, mine, we, us, ourselves, our, and ours

Examples of First PersonI was minding my own business when Mom

burst in. “What’s with you?” I grumbled.

As I walked by the corner of my room, where my computer table was set up, I pressed the on button, slid a cd into the computer……..

“User Friendly” page 272

•a narrator relates all action in third person•The narrator tells the story as an outsider• using third person pronouns

• he, she, it, him, her, himself, herself, himself, his, her, hers, its, they, them, themselves, their, and theirs

•allows a writer more freedom in how a story is told•Example: He gripped the dollar bill tightly. “You can’t have it,” he told her.

Third Person Point of View

When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him. "He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good humored, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! -- so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"

•narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character•other characters are presented externally•reveal what the viewpoint character is thinking or feeling.

Third Person LimitedThere was such a lot to know and understand

about being a dragonrider that sometimes Keevan was overwhelmed. How would he ever be able to remember everything he ought to know at the right moment?

“The Smallest Dragonboy” pg 147

Novels in Third Person Limited

•told by an all-knowing narrator•Allows the reader to see the world through the eyes of many characters•tell the reader of events and motivations unknown to the characters•Knows the characters past, present, and future.

•Narrator is not in the story (above the action)

•Her loveliness made her seem a heavenly being and the king suddenly knew in his heart that he had found his true love.

Novels in Third Person Omniscient“Yen-Shen” page 383

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (alternates limited and omniscient)

Literature BookRead page 348-349

Complete Pages 468-469