Point of View

Point of View is the narrative view or perspective in which a story is told. One way to add interest to a story is to vary the point of view.

First Person POV

The narrator is telling the story and is a character participating 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.

Objective POV

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

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. Third person narration can be either omniscient or limited.

Omniscient POV

A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing, or omniscient.

Limited POV

A narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor.