What is perspective in literature? Perspective is particular attitude toward something or the way of seeing something; a point of view. Take notes on the definitions of perspective and points of view. Your teacher will ask to see these!

This photograph could be from the perspective of an ant.

This photograph of the same scene can be from the perspective of a bird.

Sometimes perspective can be confusing….

And sometimes perspective can interfere with what we see.

Types of third person Omniscient: the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story Limited: The reader can only know the thoughts and feelings of one character

Read the following excerpt. Determine the perspective and point of view. Be able to explain how you determined each. The answers are on the next page. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar Leslie sat in front of Paul. She had two long, brown pigtails that reached all the way down to her waist. Paul saw those pigtails, and a terrible urge came over him. He wanted to pull a pigtail. He wanted to wrap his fist around it, feel the hair between his fingers, and just yank. He thought it would be fun to tie the pigtails together, or better yet, tie them to her chair. But most of all, he just wanted to pull one. 1. From whose perspective is this written? 2. What clues from the story help you determine this perspective? 3. What is the point of view? 4. How can you tell?

ANSWERS: From whose perspective is this written? The perspective is from a boy by the name of Paul. He is most likely an elementary school student. What clues from the story help you determine this perspective? The story describes what could be a scene in a classroom. What is the point of view? The point of view is third person limited. How can you tell? The pronouns “he and she” are pronouns used in third person. We know it is limited because we only hear Paul’s thoughts.

Now it is your turn to practice. Click on the link below for a quizizz. https://quizizz.com/ Game code: 601861