1. Analyzing Point of View
What are the types of POV (or narrative perspective)?
Why do authors select a particular POV for their story?

2. Objective Common Core Standards
RL 6: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience create effects such as suspense or humor.
RL 1: Cite textual evidence
By the end of the lesson, each student will be able to identify the point of view of the story, analyze, and evaluate this perspective in a reading response journal entry that will be evaluated using a standards-based rubric.

3. Types of Point of View
Objective Point of View With the objective point of view, the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue. The narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.
Third Person Point of View Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.
First Person Point of View 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.
Omniscient and Limited Points of View A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing, or omniscient.
A narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view.
As you read a piece of fiction think about these things:
How does the point of view affect your responses to the characters? How is your response influenced by how much the narrator knows and how objective he or she is? First person narrators are not always trustworthy. It is up to you to determine what is the truth and what is not.

4. Thinking Levels

5. First person narrator:
Story is told from the inside; narrator is a participant in the action
Narrator is often the protagonist or minor character; we see only what he/she sees, in the way that he/she sees it.
Advantage:  first person narrator has immediacy (you experience events with the character) and a sense of life.
Disadvantage:  the author (and reader) may be frustrated in that he/she can only include things that the narrator would be expected to know; also, we are locked within the mind of the narrator.

6. Third person narrator:
Usually a nameless narrator who can be identified with the author.
Omniscient narrator:  godlike narrator; he/she can enter character's minds and know everything that is going on, past, present, and future.
Advantage:  very natural technique; author is, after all, omniscient regarding his work.
Disadvantage:  unrealistic; narrator knows and tells all; is truly a convention of literature
Limited Narrator:  third person narration that is limited to the point of view of one character in the novel; may be a protagonist or a minor character.
Objective Narrator:  limited narrative, like a drama; narrator can only describe words and actions that can be seen objectively and cannot get into character's thoughts

7. Combination of narrative techniques is possible in a novel.
Tense of narration is important; action narrated in the present can be more dramatic than past tense narration.

8. a first-person narrator (I)? a second-person narrator (you)?
Ask Yourself:
Who's telling the story?
a first-person narrator (I)?
a second-person narrator (you)?
a third-person narrator (character’s name, he, she, etc.)?

9. Ask Yourself: Is the narrator omniscient (all-knowing) or limited?
What does the narrator know, and how does she know it?
What does she tell the reader? How does she tell it? Why does she tell it?
What might she be holding back, denying, or repressing?
Why?

10. Ask Yourself:
What is the narrator's tone (attitude)? her agenda? Is she reliable?
How does the point of view of the narrator affect how we view the characters? their struggles?
Why is the story told from a particular point of view?
How does the point of view affect the meaning and theme of the story?
How does it affect our interpretation of the story?

11. Point of View Journal Example
Text
Response
This passage demonstrates the third-person limited point of view that is used in the story. The story is told by an outside narrator who knows only the thoughts and feelings of Alfred. We only learn about Sam Carr through his actions, the things they say, and the thoughts that Alfred has about him. Although we don’t see into Sam’s thoughts, in this passage, he is smiling and stroking his face, which would suggest that he is quite pleased that he has caught Alfred in the act and he is looking forward to seeing what kind of punishment awaits. Sam’s character is developed indirectly, while Alfred’s character is developed both indirectly and directly (shown here). This method is effective because it allows us to see and understand first-hand how Alfred changes from the beginning of the story when he is only worried about getting into trouble, to the end of the story, when he is worried about how his poor choices have affected his mother’s health and well-being.
“While Sam Carr smiled and stroked the side of his face very delicately with the tips of his fingers, Alfred began to feel that familiar terror growing in him that had been in him every time he had got into such trouble” (Callaghan, 1).

12. Point of View Journal Example
Text
Response
This passage demonstrates the third-person omniscient point of view of the story. The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of Victor, who is worried that Mr. Bueller will say something in front of Teresa about his terrible attempt at pretending to know French. We also know the feelings of Mr. Bueller, who is sympathetic to what Victor is going through. This point of view is effective because even though the focus of the story is Victor, this scene also tells us a lot about Mr. Bueller. The reader, and Victor discover that he is a pretty good guy who understands what his students are going through. So while 7th grade can seem so scary, Victor learns that it isn’t all bad.
“Oh please, don’t say anything, Victor pleaded with his eyes. I’ll wash your car, mow your lawn, walk your dog--anything! I'll be Your best student, and I’ll clean your erasers after school. Mr. Bueller shuffled through the papers on his desk, He smiled and hummed as he sat down to work. He remembered his college years when he dated a girlfriend in borrowed cars. She thought he was rich because each time he picked her up he had a different car. It was fun until he had spent all his money on her and had to write home to his parents because he was broke” (Soto, 7).