POIN

T OF

VIEW

IN A

SHORT S

TORY

OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW

• Writer tells what happens• The narrator NEVER tells the

reader anything about the character’s thoughts or feelings

• The narrator remains as a detached observer of the story

FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW

• Narrator is part of the action of the story

• The reader should question the narrator’s account of the events

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW• Narrator does not

participate in the action of the story as a character

• The narrator tells the reader how the characters think and feel

• The reader learns about the characters through this outside voice

• Two types of point of view: limited and omniscient

THIRD PERSON LIMITED

• Narrator knowledge is limited to one character (either major or minor)

• The story is limited to the one character who is telling the story

THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT

• Third person narrator knows everything about all characters

• The reader knows about the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story

• Omniscient means all-knowing

A FICTION READER THINKS ABOUT…

• How does the point of view affect your responses to the characters?

• How is your response influenced by how much the narrator knows?

• How objective is the narrator?

• First person narrators are not always trustworthy.

• The reader should determine what is true and what is not.