1. Point of View --------------------------------
It is the angle from which the story is told.
There are several different points of view.

2. Point of View
In fiction, the two most common types of point of view are
first-person point of view, in which the narrator is inside the story and involved in the plot
and
third-person point of view, in which the narrator is outside the story and observes and comments on the characters and plot
Lecture Notes Outline
In fiction, the two most common types of point of view are first-person point of view, in which the narrator is inside the story and involved in the plot, and third-person point of view, in which the narrator is outside the story and observes and comments on the characters and plot.

3. First-Person Point of View
In first-person point of view, the narrator
is a character in the story who witnesses or participates in the action
uses words like I and we in telling the story we I
Lecture Notes Outline
In first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story who witnesses or participates in the action and uses words like I and we in telling the story. While first-person point of view can be used in fictional writing, this perspective is much more common in nonfiction writing (diaries, autobiographies, personal narratives, and so on).

4. Example of First-Person Point of View
It is impossible to say how the idea first entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—A pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me; my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
—from “The Tell-Tale Heart,”
by Edgar Allan Poe
Lecture Notes Outline
Example of first-person point of view:
It is impossible to say how the idea first entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—A pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me; my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
—from “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story from the first-person point of view?
Lecture Notes Outline
What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story from the first-person point of view?
First-person point of view allows readers the advantage of “getting inside the head” of the narrator and understanding his or her thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Therefore, there is an intimacy and authenticity to the narrator’s telling of the story. On the other hand, first-person point of view forces readers to view the characters and events through the eyes of a single character—including the narrator’s biases, attitudes, and opinions. Readers should question the credibility or objectivity of the narrator’s account because the narrator has no other perspective but his or her own view of the events that took place.
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6. Third-Person Point of View
In third-person point of view, the narrator
is someone who stands outside the action and observes
is not a character in the story
uses words like he, she, it, and they
Third-person point of view is the most common point of view used by writers.
Lecture Notes Outline
In third-person point of view, the narrator is someone who stands outside the action and observes, is not a character in the story, and uses words like he, she, it, and they. Third-person point of view is the most common point of view used by writers. he
she it
they

7. Third-Person Point of View
There are two variations of third-person point of view:
In third-person limited point of view, the thoughts and feelings of only the narrator or a single character are revealed.
In third-person omniscient point of view, the thoughts and feelings of all characters are revealed.
Lecture Notes Outline
There are two variations of third-person point of view: In third-person limited point of view, the thoughts and feelings of only the narrator or a single character are revealed, and in third-person omniscient point of view, the thoughts and feelings of all characters are revealed.

8. Example of Third-Person Limited Point of View
“I was scrubbing the pool,” Arnie shouted, “and I said, ‘Mr. Clemens, you shouldn’t stand so close to the edge.’ But did he listen? No, he leaned over and…Well, you can just imagine my horror.”
José walked away from Arnie’s jabbering. He walked away, and realized that there were people like his cousin, the liar, and people like himself, someone he was just getting to know. He walked away and in the midmorning heat boosted himself up a telephone pole.
—from “Born Worker,”
by Gary Soto
Lecture Notes Outline
Example of third-person limited point of view:
“I was scrubbing the pool,” Arnie shouted, “and I said, ‘Mr. Clemens, you shouldn’t stand so close to the edge.’ But did he listen? No, he leaned over and…Well, you can just imagine my horror.”
José walked away from arnie’s jabbering. He walked away, and realized that there were people like his cousin, the liar, and people like himself, someone he was just getting to know. He walked away and in the midmorning heat boosted himself up a telephone pole.
—from “Born Worker,” by Gary Soto

9. What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story from the third-person limited point of view?
Advantages
Disadvantages
Lecture Notes Outline
What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story from the third-person limited point of view?
The third-person limited point of view allows readers to view the action of the story line as an eyewitness rather than as a participant. This viewpoint is, therefore, more objective and trustworthy than first-person point of view. It also gives readers the more detailed characterizations and setting descriptions that an outside observer can provide. On the other hand, third-person limited is just that—limiting readers to the observances of the thoughts and emotions of a single character.
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10. Example of Third-Person Omniscient Point of View
“He’s only thirteen years old, for God’s sake,” Moon’s father said.
Moon hated it when they talked about him as if he weren’t there. His parents, who were physicians, often spoke to each other clinically about their patients, and at times about Moon as if he were a patient. It was one more irritant in the list of things that made him angry.
“We shouldn’t attach an ‘only’ to a thirteen-year-old,” said his mother, still seeing the face of the Pakistani boy, whose photograph had come her office in the morning mail. “A thirteen-year-old is not a child.”
—from “Moon,”
by Chaim Potok
Lecture Notes Outline
Example of third-person omniscient point of view:
“He’s only thirteen years old, for God’s sake,” Moon’s father said.
Moon hated it when they talked about him as if he weren’t there. His parents, who were physicians, often spoke to each other clinically about their patients, and at times about Moon as if he were a patient. It was one more irritant in the list of things that made him angry.
“We shouldn’t attach an ‘only’ to a thirteen-year-old,” said his mother, still seeing the face of the Pakistani boy, whose photograph had come her office in the morning mail. “A thirteen-year-old is not a child.”
—from “Moon,” by Chaim Potok

11. What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story from the third-person omniscient point of view?
Advantages
Disadvantages
Lecture Notes Outline
What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling a story from the third-person omniscient point of view?
The third-person omniscient point of view allows readers to observe the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters. Because of this, this perspective is the most reliable of all points of view. On the other hand, this changing perspective can be distracting for readers, who might lose the unifying effect of the story line.
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12. Reliability of the Narrator
No matter what point of view is used in a story, readers must determine if the narrator is reliable or unreliable. ?
Lecture Notes Outline
No matter what point of view is used in a story, readers must determine if the narrator is reliable or unreliable.

13. Reliable Narrator A reliable narrator
has a credible (believable) voice in a story
tries to remain objective in telling a story
makes a connection with readers by interpreting events accurately
has values and motivations that are similar to those of readers
gains the trust of readers
Lecture Notes Outline
A reliable narrator has a credible (believable) voice in a story, tries to remain objective in telling a story, makes a connection with readers by interpreting events accurately, has similar values and motivations to those of readers, and gains the trust of readers.
Extension Options
• Ask students to volunteer examples of reliable narrators in short stories or novels that they have read. Be sure that students provide explanations for their choices.

14. Unreliable Narrator An unreliable narrator
has an incredible (unbelievable) voice in the story
struggles to remain objective in telling the story
fails to make a connection with readers because he or she misinterprets events
has values and motivations that may differ from those of readers
may appear suspect to readers
Lecture Notes Outline
An unreliable narrator has an incredible (unbelievable) voice in the story, struggles to remain objective in telling the story, fails to make a connection with readers because he or she misinterprets events (perhaps due to limited knowledge, naïveté, mental incapacity, insanity, narrow-mindedness), has values and motivations that may differ from those of readers, and may appear suspect to readers (perhaps motivated by self-interest or deception).
Extension Options
• Ask students to volunteer examples of unreliable narrators in short stories or novels that they have read. Be sure that students provide explanations for their choices.

15. SUMMARY: Determining Point of View
To determine the point of view of a story, ask yourself the following questions:
Who is telling the story?
Is this person a character in the story?
Is more than one perspective presented?
Does the narrator comment on the events of the story, or simply present them?
Does the narrator seem unbiased and trustworthy?
How might the story be different if told from another character’s point of view?
Lecture Notes Outline
To determine the point of view of a story, ask yourself the following questions:
• Who is telling the story? Is this person a character in the story? Is more than one perspective presented?
• Does the narrator comment on the events of the story, or simply present them?
• Does the narrator seem unbiased and trustworthy?
• How might the story be different if told from another character’s point of view?

16. Theme ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight.
It is the author’s underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey.
The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying.

17. Some examples of themes from literature are:
The author may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.
Some examples of themes from literature are:
Love is blind.
Believe in yourself.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Think before you speak.

18. Theme and Topic The theme of a work is not the same as the topic.
A topic is the subject of a literary work.
To determine the topic, ask yourself: What is this about?
The theme is a general observation based on that topic.
To identify theme, ask yourself: What is the author saying about this topic?
Lecture Notes Outline
The theme of a work is not the same as the topic. A topic is the subject of a literary work. To determine the topic, ask yourself: What is this about? The theme is a general observation based on that topic. To identify theme, ask yourself: What is the author saying about this topic?

19. Stated Theme
A stated theme occurs when a story’s theme or perception about life is stated directly by the author.
Stated themes are rare in fiction.
Stated themes most
commonly occur in
traditional literature, such
as fairy tales and fables.
Lecture Notes Outline
A stated theme occurs when a story’s theme or perception about life is stated directly by the author. Stated themes are rare in fiction. Stated themes most commonly occur in traditional literature, such as fairy tales and fables.
Fairy tales and fables use stated themes because this type of literature has roots in the oral tradition. These tales were passed down from generation to generation as a means of illustrating morals and values to children. For example, in the fable “The Tortoise and the Hare,” the stated theme that appears at the end of the tale says, “Slow and steady wins the race.” For fairy tales and fables, the theme is the moral or lesson to be learned from the story.

20. Stated Theme
In this unit, a stated theme can be seen in the folk tale “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson.”
The young peasant and his wife looked at each other and tears filled their eyes. They were ashamed because they had treated the old grandfather so meanly, and from that day they again let the old man eat with them at the table and took better care of him.
—from “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson,”
retold by Leo Tolstoy
Lecture Notes Outline
In this unit, a stated theme can be seen in the folk tale “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson.”
The young peasant and his wife looked at each other and tears filled their eyes. They were ashamed because they had treated the old grandfather so meanly, and from that day they again let the old man eat with them at the table and took better care of him.
—from “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson,” retold by Leo Tolstoy
“The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson” can be found on page 220 of the textbook.

21. Implied Theme
An implied theme occurs when a story’s theme or perception about life must be inferred by readers.
To determine an implied theme, gather details about
the characters and their actions
the setting
the author’s tone
Lecture Notes Outline
An implied theme occurs when a story’s theme or perception about life must be inferred by readers. To determine an implied theme, gather details about the characters and their actions, the setting, and the author’s tone.

22. Using Characters to Determine Implied Theme
In this excerpt from “Born Worker,” the reader must infer the theme by interpreting the actions of the characters.
José knelt on both knees at the old man’s side….The old man groaned and opened his eyes, which were shiny wet. He appeared startled, like a newborn. “Sir, you’ll be all right,” José cooed, then snapped at his cousin, “Arnie, get over here and help me!”
“I’m going home,” Arnie whined.
“You punk!” José yelled. “Go inside and call 911.”
Arnie said that they should leave him there.
—from “Born Worker,”
by Gary Soto
Lecture Notes Outline
In this excerpt from “Born Worker,” the reader must infer the theme by interpreting the actions of the characters.
José knelt on both knees at the old man’s side….The old man groaned and opened his eyes, which were shiny wet. He appeared startled, like a newborn. “Sir, you’ll be all right,” José cooed, then snapped at his cousin, “Arnie, get over here and help me!”
“I’m going home,” Arnie whined.
“You punk!” José yelled. “Go inside and call 911.”
Arnie said that they should leave him there.
—from “Born Worker,” by Gary Soto
“Born Worker” can be found on page 155 of the textbook.
One theme of “Born Worker” is that there are people who are giving and caring, and others who are greedy and selfish. The way that José and Arnie each behave after Mr. Clemens falls in the pool helps to demonstrate this theme.

23. Using Setting to Determine Implied Theme
In “Miss Butterfly,” the description of the setting at the end of the story provides clues about the story’s theme.
In the living room, Saiki-san smoked incessantly and the place became stuffy. He continued to read the paper. Hamada-san sat mutely in the corner, his eyes smarting with smoke. He could have gone outside for a bit of fresh air but did not move. His eyes took in the phonograph, the record albums, the spots where the girls danced, and the room that was now empty. In the silence he heard the clock in the hall ticking.
—from “Miss Butterfly,”
by Toshio Mori
Lecture Notes Outline
In “Miss Butterfly,” the description of the setting at the end of the story provides clues about the story’s theme.
In the living room, Saiki-san smoked incessantly and the place became stuffy. He continued to read the paper. Hamada-san sat mutely in the corner, his eyes smarting with smoke. He could have gone outside for a bit of fresh air but did not move. His eyes took in the phonograph, the record albums, the spots where the girls danced, and the room that was now empty. In the silence he heard the clock in the hall ticking.
—from “Miss Butterfly,” by Toshio Mori
“Miss Butterfly” can be found on page 181 of the textbook.
A possible theme of “Miss Butterfly” is that older generations often have a hard time letting go of old traditions and customs. The oppressive, trapped nature of the setting in this excerpt reflects Hamada-san’s feelings of being disconnected from the present and his longing for the traditions and customs of his Japanese heritage.

24. Using Tone to Determine Implied Theme
The solemn tone at the end of “The Medicine Bag” reflects the theme of the importance of respecting one’s family and heritage.
Grandpa turned and sat again on the bed. Wearily he leaned his head against the pillow. “Go,” he said. “I will sleep now.”
“Thank you, Grandpa,” I said softly and left with the bag in my hands.
That night Mom and Dad took Grandpa to the hospital. Two weeks later I stood alone on the lonely prairie of the reservation and put the sacred sage in my medicine bag.
—from “The Medicine Bag,”
by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Lecture Notes Outline
The solemn tone at the end of “The Medicine Bag” reflects the theme of the importance of respecting one’s family and heritage.
Grandpa turned and sat again on the bed. Wearily he leaned his head against the pillow. “Go,” he said. “I will sleep now.”
“Thank you, Grandpa,” I said softly and left with the bag in my hands.
That night Mom and Dad took Grandpa to the hospital. Two weeks later I stood alone on the lonely prairie of the reservation and put the sacred sage in my medicine bag.
—from “The Medicine Bag,” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
“The Medicine Bag” can be found on page 213 of the textbook.
A possible theme of “The Medicine Bag” is that it is important to honor and respect your family members and your heritage, no matter what. The tone at the end of the story helps to reflect that the main character, Martin, now understands this.

25. Determining Theme
A work of fiction can have a single theme or multiple themes.
To determine the theme, readers must find the connections between
the story’s elements
and the human experience.
Lecture Notes Outline
A work of fiction can have a single theme or multiple themes. To determine the theme, readers must find the connections between the story’s elements and the human experience.

26. Describing Themes
The following terms are commonly used to describe themes:
life
giving
truth
responsibility
war
home
self-awareness
choices
bravery
happiness
dreams
reaching goals
obedience
freedom
equality
friendship
love
survival
family
taking risks
good/evil
honesty
learning
pain
Lecture Notes Outline
The following terms are commonly used to describe themes: family, taking risks, good/evil, honesty, learning, pain, obedience, freedom, equality, friendship, love, survival, self-awareness, choices, bravery, happiness, dreams, reaching goals, life, giving, truth, responsibility, war, and home.

27. SUMMARY: Theme
The theme of a literary work is the central observation about life that it reveals.
A writer expresses the theme by making a connection between the story and the human experience.
If a writer successfully makes this connection, readers will remember the message long after the story has ended.
Lecture Notes Outline
The theme of a literary work is the central observation about life that it reveals. A writer expresses the theme by making a connection between the story and the human experience. If a writer successfully makes this connection, readers will remember the message long after the story has ended.