Point of View Reference Sheet (Different from Perspecitve)

Point of view refers to the vantage point from which the story is told. There are three
different possible points of view:
1. First-person point of view-A character in the story is telling the story. If you see the
words "I," "me," or "we," then the story is in the first-person point of view.
2. Second-person point of view-This is less common, but this point of view has the narrator
talking to the reader. If you see the word "you," then the story is told in the second-person
point of view.
3. Third-person point of view-This is when an external narrator is telling the story. A
third-person point of view can be limited-meaning the narrator "follows" one character and
we see everything that is happening near that character. Or, the third-person point of view
can be omniscient-we know what all characters in the story are doing and thinking.

Examples of Point of View:

Examples of the Different Points of View in Literature
Example of First Person Point of View-Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
"I could picture it. I have a habit of imagining the conversations between my friends.
Wewent out to the Cafe Napolitain to have an aperitif and watch the evening crowd on the
Boulevard."

Example of Second Person Point of View-Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go!

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any
direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."

Example of Third Person Point of View-E.B. White's Charlotte's Web

"Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly,
none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself.
It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte
was both."