Point of View

 

Point of View
Description
Examples
Effect and Limitations
First person The narrator is a character in the story.  As such, the story is told from the first person singular point of view (“I”).
  • Great Expectations
  • Diary of Anne Frank
  • Flowers for Algernon
  • Highly limited point of view
  • Reader unable to escape narrator’s bias
Second person  The reader is a character in the story. As such, the story is told using the second person singular pronoun (“you”).
  • Books in the Choose Your Own Adventure series
  • Self-help/advice books
  • Some poetry
  • Limited subjects
  • Can feel a bit artificial
Third person omniscient The narrator is not a participant in the story. However, the narrator has an omniscient (all-knowing) point of view and can comment on and describe all characters’ inner thoughts and feelings.
  • The Lord of the Rings
  • The Lemony Snicket series
  • Can feel a bit artificial
  • Can overwhelm the reader with so many perspectives
Third person limited The narrator is not a participant in the story. The narrator has limited knowledge and cannot “see” into multiple character’s minds.
  •  The Giver
  • The Old Man and the Sea
  • A traditionally used format and so can feel dated

 

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