1. The Narrator Omniscient Point of View First-Person Point of View Third-Person-Limited Point of View Tone Voice Practice Narrator and Voice Feature Menu

2. When you read a story, the narratorthe person telling the storycontrols everything you know about the characters and events. The Narrator

3. A writers choice of a narrator determines the point of view of the storythe vantage point from which the story is told. The three main points of view are omniscient first person third person limited [End of Section] The Narrator

4. When the omniscient point of view is used, the narrator is not a character in the story knows all can tell us everything about every character Omniscient Point of View

5. How can you tell this is an omniscient narrator? Omniscient Point of View Quick Check One day a young woman looked out her apartment window and saw a man playing a saxophone. Cool, she thought as she swayed to his tune. A big brown dog joined the man and howled along with the music. Then a man in pajamas yelled from another window, complaining that the noise woke him up and he was going to call the police. This man, who worked the night shift and had to sleep all day, liked cats better than dogs anyway. The young saxophonist left. [End of Section]

6. The narrator isnt a character in the story. The narrator knows what multiple characters are doing, thinking, and feeling. How can you tell this is an omniscient narrator? Omniscient Point of View Quick Check One day a young woman looked out her apartment window and saw a man playing a saxophone. Cool, she thought as she swayed to his tune. A big brown dog joined the man and howled along with the music. Then a man in pajamas yelled from another window, complaining that the noise woke him up and he was going to call the police. This man, who worked the night shift and had to sleep all day, liked cats better than dogs anyway. The young saxophonist left.

7. A first-person narrator is a character in the story uses first-person pronouns such as I and me tells us only what he or she thinks and experiences A first-person narrator is sometimes called a persona. First-Person Point of View

8. Always question whether a first- person narrator is credible, or can be trusted. An unreliable narrator is biased and does not (or cannot) tell the truth. First-Person Point of View

9. How can you tell this is a first- person narrator? Do you think this narrators opinion of the music is reliable? Why or why not? First-Person Point of View Quick Check Oh, man! Just as I was finally dozing off, he starts playing that stupid saxophone. Ive already been fired from one job because I fell asleep on the night shift. Now its going to happen again. I dont know which sounds worse, that tone-deaf saxophonist or that yowling dog. Im going to call the police. [End of Section]

10. He uses the pronoun I and tells only his own thoughts and feelings. How can you tell this is a first- person narrator? First-Person Point of View Quick Check Oh, man! Just as I was finally dozing off, he starts playing that stupid saxophone. Ive already been fired from one job because I fell asleep on the night shift. Now its going to happen again. I dont know which sounds worse, that tone-deaf saxophonist or that yowling dog. Im going to call the police.

11. Do you think this narrators opinion of the music is reliable? Why or why not? No. Hes probably too concerned about getting sleep to enjoy music. First-Person Point of View Quick Check Oh, man! Just as I was finally dozing off, he starts playing that stupid saxophone. Ive already been fired from one job because I fell asleep on the night shift. Now its going to happen again. I dont know which sounds worse, that tone-deaf saxophonist or that yowling dog. Im going to call the police.

12. When the third-person-limited point of view is used, the narrator uses third-person pronouns (he, she, they) Third-Person-Limited Point of View gives one characters thoughts and reactions tells little about other characters

13. How can you tell this is a third- person-limited narrator? What is this narrators reaction to the dog? to the yelling man? Third-Person-Limited Point of View Quick Check He found a good spot in front of Park View Apartments and started playing soulfully on his sax. He wanted an audience and needed money. After one song, he spotted a cute girl at a window, applauding madly. A dog howled with the music, but the sax player let him stay, hoping the dog might attract some donations. Then he heard a man yelling about calling the policeclearly not a music lover. [End of Section]

14. How can you tell this is a third- person-limited narrator? The story is told from the sax players vantage point using the pronoun he. We dont know what other characters are thinking. Third-Person-Limited Point of View Quick Check He found a good spot in front of Park View Apartments and started playing soulfully on his sax. He wanted an audience and needed money. After one song, he spotted a cute girl at a window, applauding madly. A dog howled with the music, but the sax player let him stay, hoping the dog might attract some donations. Then he heard a man yelling about calling the policeclearly not a music lover.

15. What is this narrators reaction to the dog? to the yelling man? He thinks the dog can help him. He thinks the man hates music. Third-Person-Limited Point of View Quick Check He found a good spot in front of Park View Apartments and started playing soulfully on his sax. He wanted an audience and needed money. After one song, he spotted a cute girl at a window, applauding madly. A dog howled with the music, but the sax player let him stay, hoping the dog might attract some donations. Then he heard a man yelling about calling the policeclearly not a music lover.

16. Tone is the attitude a speaker or writer takes toward a subject, character, or audience. A storys tone can be [End of Section] suspenseful gloomy humorous Tone

17. Voice is the writers distinctive use of language and his or her overall style. The writers tone and choice of words (diction) help create the voice. In fiction, narrators can also be said to have a voice. A narrators voice can affect our view of characters and events. Voice

18. Notice how a distinctive voice can influence our views of certain characters. What impression do you get of the saxophone player? Which words contribute to this effect? [End of Section] Oh, man! Just as I was finally dozing off, he starts playing that stupid saxophone. Ive already been fired from one job because I fell asleep on the night shift. Now its going to happen again. I dont know which sounds worse, that tone- deaf saxophonist or that yowling dog. Im going to call the police. Voice

19. [End of Section] Voice You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged ; this was a point definitively settled - but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved, precluded the idea of risk. TRUE! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses - not destroyed - not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?

20. [End of Section] Voice It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation. Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded - with what caution - with what foresight - with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him.

21. Write a paragraph telling the saxophone story from the point of view of the young woman or the big brown dog. Use either the first-person or the third-person-limited point of view, and try to create a distinctive voice. Remember to show what the character is thinking and feeling. Practice [End of Section]

22. The End