Author’s Point of View

Narrative Perspective

Dialogue and NarrationDialogue = when characters speak.

Narration = when the narrator speaks.

“Quotation marks” separate narration from dialogue.

Example“Help” my cousin Jack said.

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Identifying Narrative Perspective(Point of View)

It's about the narrator (who tells the story)

We're not looking at dialogue.We don't care what characters say.Only the narrator's voice matters.

Pronoun Case

First-Person I, me, my, mine, we, us, ours

Second-Person you, your

Third-Person he, she, her, they, them

(also character's names)

We are trying to figure out the narrator's view point on the story.

Perspectives and Signal Words

This may help you remember:“I am in the room”I = 1st Person

“You come in the room.”You = 2nd Person

“Then he or she came in the room.”He or She = 3rd Person

First-PersonNarrator is a part of the story

(character).

Often uses I or we.

Example

I went home. Tim came over. I couldn't play.

Second-Person

Usually for instructions

Uses “You”; from “your” perspective.

Examples

First, gather your materials. Add 1 cup sugar to flour.

Third-PersonNarrator usually isn’t involved.Tells other's stories.Lots of “He,” “She,” & character names.

Three Types of Third-Person Narration

Does the narrator tell…

Thoughts and Feelings of Characters?

Third-Person OmniscientNarrator is all knowing.Narrator tells thoughts and feelings of more

than one character.

Omni = All Scient = Knowing

ExampleTim was mad at Shay. He blamed her. Shay knew Tim would be mad, but she wanted to live her life.

Third-Person LimitedNarrator is limited to one character.Tells thoughts & feelings of one

character

ExampleTim was mad at Shay. He blamed her. Shay just left without saying anything. She left a note and then left him.

Third-Person ObjectiveNarrator does not reveal any

character’s thoughts or feelings.

Only character’s dialogue and actions are narrated.

ExampleTim slammed the door. He walked upstairs & read a note from Shay. He kicked his trash can & started crying.

Tips on IdentifyingCheck 1st or 2nd-person before worrying

about objective, limited, or omniscient.

Ask, “Who’s story is the narrator telling: his, mine, or someone else’s?”

Focus on narration not dialogue.

POV Practice1. Read the following passages.

2. Determine the narrator’s perspective (POV).

3. Write down your answer.

1When I was four months old, my mother died suddenly and my father was left to look after me all by himself… I had no brothers or sisters. So through boyhood, from the age of four months onward, there was just us two, my father and me. We lived in an old gypsy caravan behind a filling station

A.First person D. Third person omniscientB.Second person E. Third person objectiveC.Third person limited

2The huge man dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool. The small man stepped behind him. "Lennie!" he said sharply. "Lennie, for God’s sakes don’t drink so much." Lennie continued to snort into the pool. The small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder. "Lennie you gonna be sick like you was last night." Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all… "Tha’s good," he said. "You drink some, George." He smiled happily.

A.First person D. Third person omniscientB.Second person E. Third person objectiveC.Third person limited

3

The previous night, make your plans for the next day and write them down… If you attend an exclusive Samurai’s party and feel timid, you cannot do your part in making it a successful party. You had first better prepare by convincing yourself that you will have a grand time. And you should feel grateful for the invitation.

A.First person D. Third person omniscient

B.Second person E. Third person objectiveC.Third person limited

4Harold Davis took a deep breath and slowly started to peel the gauze from the wound on his grandmother’s leg. “Hold on, Grandma. I’m almost done,” He said quietly. “Don’t worry, baby. It doesn’t hurt too much,” she quietly replied. “Just take your time.” Harold glanced up at his grandmother lying on the couch. He could tell she was in pain from the way she gripped the cushions, but still she managed to smile back at him.

A.First person D. Third person omniscientB.Second person E. Third person objectiveC.Third person limited

5They were standing under a tree, each with an arm round the other's neck, and Alice knew which was which in a moment, because one of them had "DUM" embroidered on his collar, and the other "DEE." "I suppose they've each got "TWEEDLE" round at the back of the collar," she said to herself. They stood so still that she quite forgot they were alive, and she was just looking round to see if the word "TWEEDLE" was written at the back of each collar, when she was startled by a voice coming from the one marked "DUM.”

A.First person D. Third person omniscientB.Second person E. Third person objectiveC.Third person limited

Identifying POV in Picture Books

With your tablemates, skim through the picture book you read last week when we were studying conflict.

What is the POV of your book?First person?Third person limited?Third person omniscient?Third person objective? If it is in third person, which character(s) thoughts and

feelings are revealed? (include page #s) Find a passage (one or two sentences) that shows the

POV. Why do you think the author chose this POV?

ObjectiveCommon Core Standards

RL 6: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience create effects such as suspense or humor.

RL 1: Cite textual evidence

By the end of the lesson, each student will be able to identify the point of view of the story, analyze, and evaluate this perspective in a reading response journal entry that will be evaluated using a standards-based rubric.

Thinking Levels

First person narrator:

Story is told from the inside; narrator is a participant in the action

Narrator is often the protagonist or minor character; we see only what he/she sees, in the way that he/she sees it.Advantage: You experience the events with the

narrator, you connect with the narrator, it feels natural for the narrator to tell us their thoughts and feelings (as if they were talking to us)

Disadvantage:  the author (and reader) may be frustrated in that he/she can only include things that the narrator would be expected to know; author can only show us thoughts and feelings of other characters; we are locked within the mind of the narrator.

Third-Person OmniscientOmniscient narrator:  godlike narrator;

he/she can enter character's minds and know everything that is going on, past, present, and future.Advantage:  very natural technique

because the author is omniscient regarding his work (they are his ideas).

Disadvantage:  unrealistic; narrator knows and tells all; this can only exist in literature.

Third-Person LimitedLimited Narrator:  third person

narration that is limited to the point of view of one character in the novel; may be a protagonist or a minor character. Not as common as omniscient.Advantage: can help create suspense

because the reader learns things about the other characters when the character does

Disadvantage: Can be hard for the writer to maintain

Third-Person ObjectiveObjective Narrator:  limited narrative,

like a drama; narrator can only describe words and actions that can be seen objectively and cannot get into character's thoughtsAdvantage: forces author to show not

tell, can be very descriptiveDisadvantage: can seem distant, can

make it difficult for readers to connect with characters, requires a skillful author

Point of View Journal AssessmentDraw a line down the middle of the next available

page of your composition book. Include these headings:Left Side: Text Right Side: Response

Find a passage in your book that reveals the point of view of your book. You may need to pick more than one passage, especially if your book is 3rd person omniscient.

Your passage should not only show the point of view, but it should also show the advantages/disadvantages of this POV. For example, if you think your author chose 1st person POV to help us connect to the narrator by revealing their thoughts and feelings, find a passage in which the narrator is actually telling us their thoughts and feelings.

Point of View Journal Assessment

Right Side Response Questions:

What is the POV of your book?What are the benefits and drawbacks of this POV?Why do you think the author chose this POV?How would the story be different if it were told

from a different POV?Use specific phrases and details from the passage

for support.How does the point of view of the narrator affect

how we view the characters? their struggles?Why is the story told from a particular point of

view?How does the point of view affect the meaning and

theme of the story?How does it affect our interpretation of the story?

Additional Questions to Consider:

What does the narrator know, and how does she know it?

What does she tell the reader? How does she tell it? Why does she tell it?

What might she be holding back, denying, or repressing?

Why?What is the narrator's tone (attitude)? her agenda? Is

she reliable?How does the point of view of the narrator affect how

we view the characters? their struggles?Why is the story told from a particular point of view?How does the point of view affect the meaning and

theme of the story?How does it affect our interpretation of the story?

Point of View Journal Example

Text Response

“While Sam Carr smiled and stroked the side of his face very delicately with the tips of his fingers, Alfred began to feel that familiar terror growing in him that had been in him every time he had got into such trouble” (Callaghan, 1).

This passage demonstrates the third-person limited point of view that is used in the story. The story is told by an outside narrator who knows only the thoughts and feelings of Alfred. We only learn about Sam Carr through his actions, the things they say, and the thoughts that Alfred has about him. Although we don’t see into Sam’s thoughts, in this passage, he is smiling and stroking his face, which would suggest that he is quite pleased that he has caught Alfred in the act and he is looking forward to seeing what kind of punishment awaits. Sam’s character is developed indirectly, while Alfred’s character is developed both indirectly and directly (shown here). This method is effective because it allows us to see and understand first-hand how Alfred changes from the beginning of the story when he is only worried about getting into trouble, to the end of the story, when he is worried about how his poor choices have affected his mother’s health and well-being.

Point of View Journal Example

Text Response“Oh please, don’t say anything, Victor

pleadedwith his eyes. I’ll wash your car, mow yourlawn, walk your dog--anything! I'll beYour best student, and I’ll clean yourerasers after school. Mr. Buellershuffled through the papers on hisdesk, He smiled and hummed as hesat down to work. He rememberedhis college years when he dated agirlfriend in borrowed cars. She thought he was rich because each time hepicked her up he had a different car. It wasfun until he had spent all his money on herand had to write home to his parents

becausehe was broke” (Soto, 7).

This passage demonstrates the third-person omniscient point of view of the story. The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of Victor, who is worried that Mr. Bueller will say something in front of Teresa about his terrible attempt at pretending to know French. We also know the feelings of Mr. Bueller, who is sympathetic to what Victor is going through. This point of view is effective because even though the focus of the story is Victor, this scene also tells us a lot about Mr. Bueller. The reader, and Victor discover that he is a pretty good guy who understands what his students are going through. So while 7th grade can seem so scary, Victor learns that it isn’t all bad.