Point of View & Perspective

Is there really a difference?

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Point of View focuses on who

• Who is telling the story?

• Who is speaking?

Perspective is how the characters view and process what’s happening within the story. 

• How does the narrator perceive what’s happening within the story?

• What is their attitude about it?

Multiple Choice

A first person narrator would use which pronouns?

• They, them, theirs

• He, him, his

• I, me, my, we, mine, us, ours

• She, her, hers

Poll

Think about the books you have most enjoyed reading. What is the most common point of view of those books?

• First person

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

• Second person

Character perspective

No matter the point of view (POV), perspective can help define characters' attitudes and personalities.

In real life, everyone’s perspective is different. You may have four people at one event, but each person comes away with a unique set of experiences or observations based on their life experiences and identities.

In literature, the story changes depending on who tells it. That’s perspective.

Let's look at a familiar story

from a familiar perspective

Open Ended

Summarize the story of the Three Little Pigs in 3 - 4 sentences.

Let's check out a different perspective:

The wolf's!

Fill in the Blank

Why did the wolf say he was going to the pigs' houses?

Check for understanding:

Multiple Choice

Perspective in literature is ___, while point of view in literature is ___.

• who tells the story or who is speaking, how a character views and processes what happens in a story.

• They are the same thing.

• how a character views and processes what happens in a story, who tells the story or who is speaking.

​​lets look closer at the different point's of view to see how the perspective changes based on who is telling the story.

Multiple Choice

As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main street of Poker Flat on the morning of the 23rd of November, 1850, he was conscious of a change in its moral atmosphere since the preceding night.

(Bret Harte, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat")

• First Person

• Third Person Limited

• Third Person Omniscient

• Second Person

Multiple Choice

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

(Charles Dickens, David Copperfield)

• First Person

• Third Person Limited

• Third Person Omniscient

• Second Person

Multiple Choice

Feeling confident and superior, Devin gave his opponent, Gwen, a genuine smile as she walked past him. Though Gwen returned Devin’s smile, she was suspicious of his kindness. He’s probably gloating over my mistakes, Gwen thought angrily.

• First Person

• Third Person Limited

• Third Person Omniscient

• Second Person

​Think about who is the narrator "I" in this story?

Multiple Choice

Who is the narrator in story c?

• the peacock

• the crane

• the farmer

Multiple Select

What are the three types of Point of View we have covered?

• Omniscient

• First Person

• Third Person Limited

• Second Person