P OINT OF V IEW & T ONE Literary Analysis in Black Boy

P OINT OF V IEW : R EVIEW 1 st Person POV: the narrator is the ‘I’ of the story; told through the eyes of the narrator

He spoke too late. Red circles were eating into the white cloth: then a flare of flames shot out. Startled, I backed away. The fire soared to the ceiling and I trembled with fright. Soon I saw her taut face peering under the edge of the house. She had found me! I held my breath and waited to hear her command me to come to her. Her face went away; no, she had not seen me huddled in the dark nook of the chimney. I tucked my head into my arms and my teeth chattered. "Richard!" The distress I sensed in her voice was as sharp and painful as the lash of a whip on my flesh. "Richard! The house is on fire. Oh, find my child!" Yes, the house was afire, but I was determined not to leave my place of safety. Finally I saw another face peering under the edge of the house; it was my father's. His eyes must have become accustomed to the shadows, for he was now pointing at me.

P OINT OF V IEW : R EVIEW 3 rd Person Omnicient POV: the narrator is on the outside looking in to the minds of all characters; frequent use of pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’ to describe characters

He spoke too late. Red circles were eating into the white cloth: then a flare of flames shot out. Startled, Richard backed away. The fire soared to the ceiling and he trembled with fright. Soon he saw his mother’s taut face peering under the edge of the house. She had found him! He held his breath and waited to hear her command him to come to her. Her face went away; no, she had not seen him huddled in the dark nook of the chimney. He tucked his head into his arms and his teeth chattered. "Richard!" The distress in her voice was as sharp as the lash of a whip. She was frantic in her search; was that slightly darker place under the porch her youngest child? No. Oh, if he perished! "Richard! The house is on fire. Oh, find my child!" Yes, the house was afire, but he was determined not to leave his place of safety. Finally Richard saw another face peering under the edge of the house; it was his father's. He had stared into the dark long enough to accustom them to the shadows, and he could now make out the child’s form without more light.

P OINT OF V IEW : R EVIEW 3 rd Person Limited POV: the narrator is on the outside looking in to the mind of one character; frequent use of pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’ to describe characters

He spoke too late. Red circles were eating into the white cloth: then a flare of flames shot out. Startled, he backed away. The fire soared to the ceiling and he trembled with fright. Soon he saw her taut face peering under the edge of the house. She had found him! He held his breath and waited to hear her command him to come to her. Her face went away; no, she had not seen him huddled in the dark nook of the chimney. He tucked his head into his arms and his teeth chattered. "Richard!" The distress he sensed in her voice was as sharp and painful as the lash of a whip on his flesh. "Richard! The house is on fire. Oh, find my child!" Yes, the house was afire, but he was determined not to leave his place of safety. Finally he saw another face peering under the edge of the house; it was his father's. His eyes must have become accustomed to the shadows, for he was now pointing at his son.

N EW M ATERIAL : A UTOBIOGRAPHY Autobiography : the story of a person’s life, written by the person.

P RACTICE WITH POV: 20 MINUTES Your task, over the next 20 minutes, expand your life map into a 5 paragraph autobiography. You should: Write in 1 st person Include details about your birth and family Include details about your early childhood (daycare, preschool, elementary school) Include details about your middle school experience Include details about your high school experience Include details about your friends and activities Include details about your strengths and challenges

P RACTICE WITH POV: 20 MINUTES MORE STOP! POV change! Imagine that your great-great- great-great-grandchild has picked up what you just wrote. He or she is creating a family history, and wants to write a biography about you.

P RACTICE WITH POV: 20 MINUTES MORE What point of view would the biography be written from? What knowledge would this ancestor have that you don’t? Write the biography, as though you were your ancestor.