- Point of View in Literature
- The point of view of a story is who is telling the story, or whose thoughts and feelings are shown. Some stories are told in first person point of view, and some are told in third person point of view.
First person – when a character in the story tells the reader the story from his/her point of view. Stories told in first person point of view use words like “I,” “we,” and “us.”
Third person – when a narrator that is not a character tells the reader the story. Stories told in third person point of view use words like “he,” “she,” and “them.”
- When you read, ask yourself who is telling the story. Is it a character in the story? Is it a narrator that is not part of the story?
- If you do not know, read the passage again and ask yourself whose thoughts and feelings are shown in the text.
- As you read, think about how changing the point of view could change the story. What more could the reader know?
- As you read, think about whether or not different characters in the story think or feel differently about something. How are their points of view different? Does their point of view create suspense or humor?