1. Who is telling the story?
Point of View
Who is telling the story?

2. Point of View Tells you WHO is TELLING the story
Allows you to understand how well the person telling the story understands the feelings and emotions of their characters
Divided in these MAIN categories:
1st person
3rd person, limited
3rd person, omniscient

3. 1st Person Narrator is telling the story Narrator is part of the story
Uses words like I, we, us, etc

4. 3rd Person, Limited Narrator is not a character in the story
Narrator only sees one person’s thoughts and emotions
Uses words like he, him, his, her, she, it, they, theirs

5. 3rd Person, Omniscient Narrator knows everything
Narrator knows thoughts and feelings of ALL characters

6. What is the point of view?
The Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy’s basket with them, so she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up.
What is the point of view? Explain your answer.
Write down the key words in the passage which gave you clues.
What character(s) thoughts are revealed in the passage?

7. Check Your Answers 3rd person, omniscient She, him, his, etc.
Scarecrow and Dorothy

8. From what point of view is this story told?
She was a magical aunt. When I skinned my knee, Father applied a stinging liquid, but my Aunt would speak and the pain faded. On Halloween I wanted a real witch’s hat, Aunt provided. When she died gently at 140 years old, songbirds flew from her mouth in all directions. Afterwards, Father said, “Never speak of her to anyone.”
From what point of view is this story told?
What clues led you to this decision?
How does the author feel about her aunt? Explain

9. 1st person
I, my
3. kind, magical, compassionate, etc

10. Name the point of view
Snow White: A long time ago, a child was born to a queen and king and she was called Snow White. When the queen died, the king married again. This new queen was wicked and hated Snow White . The queen gave orders that Snow White was to be treated as a servant…
Shiloh: The day Shiloh comes we’re having a bid Sunday dinner. Dara Lynn will dip her bread in her glass of cold tea the way she likes and Becky will push her beans up over the edge of her plate in her rush to get’em in.

11. Stone Fox: One day Grandfather wouldn’t get out of bead
Stone Fox: One day Grandfather wouldn’t get out of bead. He just laid there and stared at the ceiling and looked sad. At first, Little Willy thought he was playing. Little Willy lived with his grandfather on a small potato farm in Wyoming It was hard work living on a potato farm, but it was also a lot of fun, especially when Grandfather felt like playing.
Number The Stars: One of the soldiers, the taller one, moved toward her. Annemarie recognized him as the one she and Ellen always called, in whispers “the giraffe” because of his height and the long neck that extended from his stiff collar. He and his partner were always on this corner. He prodded the corner of her backpack with the stock of his rifle. Annemarie trembled. “What is in here?’, he asked loudly. “Schoolbooks,” she answered truthfully.

12. Maniac Magee: So he turned and started walking north on Hector, right down the middle of the street, right down the invisible chalk line that divided East End from West End. Cars beeped at him, drivers hollered, but he never flinched. The Cobras kept right along with him on their side of the street. So did a bunch of East Enders on their side. One of them was Mars Bar. Both sides were calling for him to come over.

13. Were you right?
3rd person, omniscient
1st person
3rd person, limited

14. Your Turn
Think of an something that recently happened at school. Pretend you were asked to write an essay about that particular event. Write what your introductory paragraph to that essay would look like if you were to write that essay in the following points of view:
1st person
3rd person, limited

15. Homework
Write two letters explaining two different points of view. In the first letter, you will write your teacher explaining why you think homework is pointless. In the second letter, write how your teacher will respond from her point of view. Feel free to add humor.