Exploring Narrator’s Point Exploring Narrator’s Point of Viewof View

What do you think you are seeing?What do you think you are seeing?

In your writer’s In your writer’s notebook, write a notebook, write a few sentences few sentences about what you about what you think you may be think you may be looking at.looking at.

What do you think you are seeing?What do you think you are seeing?

In your writer’s In your writer’s notebook, write a notebook, write a few sentences few sentences about what you about what you think you may be think you may be looking at.looking at.

What do you think you are seeing?What do you think you are seeing?

In your In your writer’s writer’s notebook, notebook, write a few write a few sentences sentences about what about what you think you think you may be you may be looking at.looking at.

What do you think you are seeing?What do you think you are seeing?

In your writer’s In your writer’s notebook, write notebook, write a few sentences a few sentences about what you about what you think you may think you may be looking at.be looking at.

What do you think you are seeing?What do you think you are seeing?

In your In your writer’s writer’s notebook, notebook, write a few write a few sentences sentences about what about what you think you think you may you may be looking be looking at.at.

It’s the Statue of Liberty!It’s the Statue of Liberty!

Imagine the photographer as the narrator Imagine the photographer as the narrator of a story.of a story.

The statue is the “main character.The statue is the “main character.

Objective Point of View Objective Point of View The The Ringlet of HairRinglet of Hair

compares to the compares to the objective point of view, objective point of view, which is when the writer which is when the writer tells what happens tells what happens without stating more than without stating more than can be inferred from the can be inferred from the story's action and story's action and dialogue. dialogue.

The narrator never The narrator never discloses anything about discloses anything about what the characters think what the characters think or feel, remaining a or feel, remaining a detached observer.detached observer.

In the photo, nothing can In the photo, nothing can be inferred; it is even be inferred; it is even difficult to recognize the difficult to recognize the subject of the photo. subject of the photo.

Third Person Point of ViewThird Person Point of View The The Nose DetailNose Detail compares to compares to

third-person narration. third-person narration. Here the narrator does not Here the narrator does not

participate in the action of the participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. We learn about characters feel. We learn about the characters through this the characters through this outside voice. outside voice.

Pronoun hints: he, she, theyPronoun hints: he, she, they This photo shows a large This photo shows a large

sculpted nose that has incurred sculpted nose that has incurred some damage. The some damage. The viewer/reader can infer that this viewer/reader can infer that this detail is part of a much larger, detail is part of a much larger, though unseen, statue that it is though unseen, statue that it is exposed to the elements. exposed to the elements.

First Person Point of ViewFirst Person Point of View The The

View from the TorchView from the Torch compares to a compares to a first-first-person narrator—the person narrator—the statue (main statue (main character) itself.character) itself.

When reading stories When reading stories in the first person, we in the first person, we need to realize that need to realize that what the narrator is what the narrator is recounting might not recounting might not be the objective truth. be the objective truth.

Pronoun hints: I, me, Pronoun hints: I, me, usus

Here, we are looking Here, we are looking out from the statue's out from the statue's point of view. point of view.

Third Person LimitedThird Person Limited Compare the Compare the

Detail of nose and lips Detail of nose and lips showing strap-iron supshowing strap-iron supports ports to the to the limited point of limited point of view, in which the view, in which the narrator "knows" what's narrator "knows" what's "inside" one character. "inside" one character.

A narrator whose A narrator whose knowledge is limited to knowledge is limited to one character, either one character, either major or minor, has a major or minor, has a limited point of view.limited point of view.

Third Person OmniscientThird Person Omniscient Compare the Compare the

Overall view of Liberty Overall view of Liberty Island Island to the omniscient point to the omniscient point of view. of view. Here the Here the narrator sees narrator sees everything and has all everything and has all the answers we will the answers we will receive in the story. receive in the story.

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