Point of View

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Topic 1 - Point of View

Literature provides a lens through which readers look at the world. Point of view is the way the author allows the reader to "see" and "hear" what is going on. Skillful authors can fix their readers' attention on exactly the detail, opinion or emotion the author wants to emphasize by manipulating the point of view of the story.

Topic 2- First-Person Point of View

First-person point of view is in use when a character narrates the story with "I-me-my-mine" in his or her speech. The advantage of this point of view is that the reader gets to hear the thoughts of the narrator and see the world through his or her eyes. However, remember that no narrator, like no human being, has complete or unbiased knowledge. Therefore, the reader's role is to go beyond what the narrator says.

Topic 3 – Second-Person Point of View

Second-person point of view, in which the author uses "you" and "your," is rare; authors seldom speak directly to the reader. Second-person point of view draws the reader into the story, making the reader a participant in the action.

Topic 4 – Third-Person Point of View

Third-person point of view is that of an outsider looking at the action. The author tells the story from a "he-she," "her-his," "they-their" perspective. The writer may choose third-person omniscient, in which the thoughts of every character are open to the reader, or third-person limited, in which the reader enters only one character's mind, either throughout the entire work or in a specific section. Third-person limited differs from first-person because the author's voice, not the character's voice, is what you hear in the descriptive passages.