1. Point of View in A Short Story

2. Objective Point of View
Writer tells what happens
The narrator NEVER tells the reader anything about the character’s thoughts or feelings
The narrator remains as a detached observer of the story

3. First Person Point of View
Narrator is part of the action of the story
The reader should question the narrator’s account of the events

4. Third Person Point of View
Narrator does not participate in the action of the story as a character
The narrator tells the reader how the characters think and feel
The reader learns about the characters through this outside voice
Two types of point of view: limited and omniscient

5. Narrator knowledge is limited to one character (either major or minor)
Third Person Limited
Narrator knowledge is limited to one character (either major or minor)
The story is limited to the one character who is telling the story

6. Third Person Omniscient
Third person narrator knows everything about all characters
The reader knows about the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story
Omniscient means all-knowing

7. A fiction reader thinks about…
How does the point of view affect your responses to the characters?
How is your response influenced by how much the narrator knows?
How objective is the narrator?
First person narrators are not always trustworthy.
The reader should determine what is true and what is not.