Ms. Spuryer Language Arts Point of View Ms. Spuryer Language Arts

Narrative Perspective Author’s Point of View

Point of View The point of view in is determined by the narrator- the person telling the story. This narrator may be the author or a character in the story, book, play, or poem.

Three points-of-view First person Second person Third person

Identifying Narrative Perspective 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.

Dialogue and Narration Dialogue = when characters speak. Narration = when the narrator speaks. “Quotation marks” separate narration from dialogue. Example “Help” my cousin Jack said. 1 2

Perspectives and Signal Words Pronoun Case We are trying to figure out the narrator's view point on the story. Perspectives and Signal Words First-Person I, me, my, mine, we, us, ours, Second-Person you, your Third-Person he, she, her, they, them (also character's names)

Point of views Clues “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 Person If the narrator is a character in the story, this is first person point of view. One way to recognize this is the use of the pronoun “I” by the narrator. This is similar to hearing a person tell you about what happened to them personally, or what they saw happen first hand.

First-Person Narrator is a part of the story (character). Often uses I or we. Example I went home. Tim came over. I couldn't play.

Example B I can’t believe what is happening to me. I know that I’ll never convince Mr. Johnson and the cop that I had nothing to do with this. Man! I didn’t do it. Why won’t anyone believe me? I’ve been in trouble before, but I’ve never done anything like this! I’ve got to convince them, or I might as well kiss my life good-bye.

Example B I can’t believe what is happening to me. I know that I’ll never convince Mr. Johnson and the cop that I had nothing to do with this. Man! I didn’t do it. Why won’t anyone believe me? I’ve been in trouble before, but I’ve never done anything like this! I’ve got to convince them, or I might as well kiss my life good-bye.

Which point of view? Excerpt B is an example of First Person Point of View. Charles, a character in the story, is telling us what happened to him. We know that Charles is innocent.

Second-Person Usually for instructions Uses “You”; from “your” perspective. Examples First, gather your materials. Add 1 cup sugar to flour.

Second Person POV The second person is almost never used in literature. The second person is when the narrator says “You” and puts the reader directly into the story.

Example E You kick off your shoes and flop onto the bed—landing, of course, among millions of mites. Had you any inkling that your bedding was alive with arthropodic bugs, chomping away on flakes of your dead skin, you would be so disgusted you would probably choose to lie on the floor. Yet every one of us, including the rich, the pious, and the royal of blood, sleeps each night in colonies of such mites.

Example E You kick off your shoes and flop onto the bed—landing, of course, among millions of mites. Had you any inkling that your bedding was alive with arthropodic bugs, chomping away on flakes of your dead skin, you would be so disgusted you would probably choose to lie on the floor. Yet every one of us, including the rich, the pious, and the royal of blood, sleeps each night in colonies of such mites.

Which point of view? Excerpt E is an example of Second Person Point of View. The narrator is telling a story directly to another character. The reader may be confused and believe the narrator is talking to them.

Three Types of Third-Person Narration Narrator 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?

EXAMPLE A Mr. Johnson looked at Charles sternly. He simply didn’t know what to do with this boy. Charles had been in Mr. Johnson’s office twice earlier this week. Now here he was again, and this time he was charged with something much more serious. Mr. Johnson shook his head. There really was no doubt in his mind. Charles was guilty. He looked at the police officer standing next to Charles. No question whatsoever--Charles had done it.

EXAMPLE A Mr. Johnson looked at Charles sternly. He simply didn’t know what to do with this boy. Charles had been in Mr. Johnson’s office twice earlier this week. Now here he was again, and this time he was charged with something much more serious. Mr. Johnson shook his head. There really was no doubt in his mind. Charles was guilty. He looked at the police officer standing next to Charles. No question whatsoever--Charles had done it.

Third person If the author or narrator is telling the story, this is known as third person point of view. What are some pronouns that will show third person point of view? he, she, they, them There are two types of third person points of view. Limited Omniscient

Example C Officer Wiley looked at Charles and scratched his head. All the evidence pointed to Charles’s guilt, but the officer just couldn’t be sure. Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, knew that Charles was guilty as sin. His numerous brushes with authority in the past left no question in his mind at all. Charles hung his head, knowing that this time he would not be able to talk his way out of trouble.

Example C Officer Wiley looked at Charles and scratched his head. All the evidence pointed to Charles’s guilt, but the officer just couldn’t be sure. Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, knew that Charles was guilty as sin. His numerous brushes with authority in the past left no question in his mind at all. Charles hung his head, knowing that this time he would not be able to talk his way out of trouble.

Which point of view? Excerpt C is an example of Third Person Omniscient Point of View. The author is telling the story, but we can see what Officer Wiley, Charles, and Mr. Johnson are thinking. We know that Mr. Johnson believes Charles is guilty, but Officer Wiley has doubts. We still are not sure whether or not Charles is guilty.

Practice Read the following passages. Determine the narrator’s perspective. Write down your answer.

1 When 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”

2 The 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" 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

Foresight in Relationships 3 Foresight in Relationships 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.

4 Harold 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.

5 They 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."

Answers First-Person Third-Person Objective Second-Person Third-Person Limited

First Person POV The narrator is in the story and refers to him/herself. Narrator will use words like I, me, we, us, our, my

First Person POV Example from Percy Jackson: Look, I didn’t want to be a half blood. If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life. … My name is Percy Jackson. I’m 12 years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York. Am I a troubled kid? Yeah. You could say that.

Second Person POV Example from Joeduncko.com There is darkness everywhere. A small amount of light is radiating from the halfmoon floating in the sky overhead. There are no stars. It is cold and humid. You look around you and find your friends gone. You are completely alone.

Wait just a minute! But the narrator says “you” a lot in the Percy Jackson example. See: If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life. It’s true, Percy does talk to the reader sometimes. But Percy is still the one narrating the story, so it is still in his “first person” perspective.

But wait! There’s more! Third Person POV The narrator is telling a story about other people. Narrator will use words like He, she, him, her, they, them, their, (and characters’ names). But wait! There’s more!

You decide… Read the following excerpts. Decide which point of view is used in each. Be able to provide 2 examples of evidence for your decision.

Example D When I saw them taking Charlie into the office, I lingered outside the door, hoping to find out what he had done this time. Charlie was my best friend, but I was getting a little tired of defending him when I knew he was wrong. He must have done something really big this time to have the cops involved.