1. Identifying point of view

2. Identify the narrative point of view in a story

3. How does each individual’s view contribute to his understanding of the situation? How does your impression of the story change once you are able to see all of the pictures? Listen to Seven Blind Mice

4. Many sides to the same story An automobile accident occurs. Two drivers are involved. Witnesses include four sidewalk spectators, a policeman, a man with a video camera who happened to be shooting the scene, and the pilot of a helicopter that was flying overhead. Here we have nine different points of view and, most likely, nine different descriptions of the accident.

5. A child wants to go to the mall with his/her friend The parents want him/her to clean his/her room first, but the child thinks he/she can do that afterwards The child’s friend never has chores and wants him/her to leave right NOW

6. You are the child OR You are the parents OR You are the friend Write down your thoughts, feelings, actions, and words in this situation

7. Now you are a stranger who is passing by an open window of the child’s home Write down what you see, hear, and think about what you observe

8. Point – of – View The perspective from which a story is told. From who’s view or side is the story or information told?

9. Point of View Chart First Person Third Person Third Person Limited Omniscient

10. First Person Uses pronouns I and me. The narrator takes part in the action of the story. Example: I know where Derek lives. Derek goes to school with me.

11. Third Person Uses pronouns he, she and they. They are seeing the action take place as an outsider. Example: She knows where Derek lives. Derek goes to school with her.

12. Third Person Limited The narrator can only tell one character’s thoughts or feelings. The boy sat in the tree and wondered if anyone else could see him. Suddenly, a policeman passed by. The boy was certain he was going to be caught.

13. Third Person Omniscient The narrator can tell all character’s thoughts and feelings. Tim, Anna and Brandon went to the fair. Tim wondered if there was going to be good food. Anna was really scared to go on the rides and Brandon worried he didn’t have enough money to play the games.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Share your findings with your classmates.

19. Excerpt A was Third Person Limited. The author, not a character, is telling the story. We can see only what Mr. Johnson is thinking. We know what Mr. Johnson thinks, but we do not know what the officer or Charles thinks. We also do not know whether or not Charles is really guilty.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. Excerpt D is an example of First Person Point of View. A friend, one of the characters in the story, is narrating. Since he does not know whether or not Charles is guilty, neither do we.