Third Person Omniscient Point of View First Person Second Person Third Person Limited Third Person Omniscient

Point of View The way a story is told, the perspective from which the events are narrated for the reader. A “narrator” is a voice that tells you what is happening in the story.

First Person Point of View Uses "I,” “we,“ “my” or “mine” - states an opinion or shares feeling. In the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. When reading stories in the first person, we need to realize that what the narrator is recounting might not be the objective truth. We should question the trustworthiness of the accounting.

Second Person Point of View Uses "you“ and “your” - good for giving directions or speaking directly to someone. Second person point of view requires the author to speak directly to the reader and does not appear often in literature. Most times, second-person point of view draws the reader into the story, almost making the reader a participant in the action.

Third Person Limited Point of View The narrator is non-participant, but only knows the thoughts and feelings of ONE character. Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us learn about the characters through an outside voice.

Third Person Omniscient Point of View The narrator is a non-participant, but is able to see into and have unlimited knowledge about any or ALL characters. All knowing, or omniscient.

Directions! Read the excerpt to yourself while I read it aloud for the class Decide whether the excerpt is written in: First person Second person Third person limited OR Third person omniscient point of view. Raise your hand to answer and wait to be called on before speaking.

Practice! Well, we had all these children out planting trees, see, because we figured that ... that was part of their education, to see how, you know, the root systems ... and also the sense of responsibility, taking care of things, being individually responsible. Which point of view?

Practice! We began to write. At first just one pencil scratching the surface of the paper. One thought. And then more pencils joined in the chorus, each adding their own thoughts to the chaos. Soon, we all wrote in harmony, spilling the thoughts of our generation onto paper. Which point of view?

Practice! Perhaps she had not told him all the story. His eyes moved to the chair over which she had thrown some of her clothes. A petticoat string dangled to the floor. One boot stood upright, its limp upper fallen down: the fellow of it lay upon its side. He wondered at his riot of emotions of an hour before. Which point of view?

Practice! Your palms perspire in the thick air, though the rotating fan feels heavenly on your face as it swishes by you. One more minute you think. One more. One more minute and you will be free. Which point of view?

Practice! Jane took the water bottle and thirstily glugged, wondering if this would be her last drink. The jungle around them howled with wild entireties, begging them to step inside. Dave eyed her water bottle as thoughts of jealousy and rage bubbled up inside of him, one over the other, gasping to have their say. Which point of view?

Practice! I hated peas. I have ALWAYS hated peas, I thought. But still, they huddled together on the plate, grouping together and staring up at me, a mixture of pathetic and defiant, challenging me to eat them. Which point of view?

Practice! You may be wondering why I am sharing all of this with you. I usually don’t talk to anyone. But I have to tell someone. I have to let it out. Which point of view?

Practice! As Paul took his glasses, he looked down, fumbling for a handkerchief in his pocket. It was at this moment, while he rubbed the greasy smudges from his glasses, that I realized I had fallen in love with him. Which point of view?