1. Elements of the Short Story Point of View

2. The perspective or vantage point from which a story is told.

3. First Person Point of View The narrator is a character in the story and tells the story through his or her eyes. Uses first person pronouns such as I and me.

4. First Person Point of View Example:  “I was sure there was someone following me. I walked faster, but the sense of foreboding closed in around me like a cold hand clenching around my spine. When I turned to look behind me, the street was deserted.”

5. Third Person Limited Point of View The narrator is not a character in the story, but tells the story through the eyes of one character. The narrator only knows the one character’s story. Uses third person pronouns such as he and she.

6. Third Person Limited Point of View Example:  “She was sure there was someone following her. She walked faster, but the sense of foreboding closed in around her like a cold hand clenching around her spine. When she turned to look behind her, the street was deserted.”

7. Third Person Omniscient Point of View The narrator tells the story through the eyes of ALL the characters in the story. The narrator is all-knowing. Also uses third person pronouns such as he and she.

8. Third Person Omniscient Point of View Example:  “She was sure there was someone following her. She walked faster, but the sense of foreboding closed in around her like a cold hand clenching around her spine. When she turned to look behind her, she saw him. He realized she had seen him when she ran. He wondered how he would catch her to tell her she had dropped her keys.”