Key Words & Phrases

Character

Narrator

Omniscient

Point of view

Perplexing

1^st person point of view

3^rd person point of view

3^rd person subjective point of view

3^rd person all knowing point of view

3^rd person objective point of view

Definitions

Point of view  the position (character or narrator) from which the story is told.  This changes depending on who is telling the story.

1^st person point of view  The story is told by one of the characters in the story.  The character use the words “I” or “we.”

3^rd person point of view  The story is being told by someone outside the story.

3^rd person all knowing  An outside narrator that knows everything tells the story. 

3^rd person subjective  The outside narrator is telling you the story from one specific character’s perspective.  The narrator is limited to what that specific character sees, knows, thinks, and feels.  The storyteller uses the words “he” or “she.”

3^rd person objective  The outside narrator can only describe what is seen or heard. The narrator does not know what any of the characters are thinking or feeling.  It would be like what a video camera would record - just the facts.

Remember  switching from one point of view to another in the middle of a story can be very confusing for the reader.

Follow-Up Activities

Select a few examples from various sources that use the different points of view.  Read each one to the students and then have them write down which point of view they think the author used.

Challenge Activity

Make a set of cards with one point of view listed per card.  Duplicate 3 or 4 sets of these cards depending on your class size.  Divide the class into small teams and then have each team pick a card out of the basket.  Each team will then have to write a paragraph using the point of view listed on the card.