Literary Element: Point of View AP Literature and Composition

Point of View Aim: How does the narrator’s point of view influence the reader’s understanding of plot and characterization? Objectives: Determine the significance of a narrator’s position in the text Differentiate between various points of view and perspective

Point of View First person (singular or plural) Usually the protagonist or a minor character with an objective view Second person (singular or plural) Very seldom used Third person (omniscient or limited) Most common form of narration

Point of View Interior monologue: a stream of consciousness experience on a non-verbalized level, usually representing sensations or emotions Naive narrator: such as a child who does not understand the full implications of the narrative Objective narrator: reports on only what he/she can see and hear without comment Unreliable narrator: the person telling the story, who is also a character within the action of the story reports events from a personal bias