U4 Sunrise Over Fallujah - Point of View

Define

When someone asks you to express your point of view on something, you know they’re asking for your opinion—how you “see” or
understand a situation or idea. Similarly, in a work of literature, you might be asked to analyze character point of view—for example, the
different points of view of two characters in a story, or how a character’s perspective, or awareness, differs from that of the audience in a
play.

But there’s also another sense in which we use the term “point of view” to talk about literary works. In poetry, we talk about the point of
view of the speaker—who may or may not be the poet. Likewise, in fiction, we talk about the narrative point of view. Every story you’ve
ever read is told from the point of view of a narrator—someone who isn’t necessarily the author.

When a character tells the story, you experience everything that happens through that character’s eyes (and ears). You only learn what
the other characters in the story do and say if that character tells you. We call this first-person point of view. If the narrator addresses
the reader as you, this is called second-person point of view. In third-person point of view, the narrator, or teller of the tale, is an
observer rather than a character.

But wait—there’s more to this! There are three different kinds of third-person point of view. If the narrator reveals the thoughts and
feelings of every character, the author is using third-person omniscient (all-knowing) point of view. If only one or two characters reveal
their thoughts and feelings to readers, the author is using third-person limited omniscient point of view. If the narrator describes the
actions of the characters but not their thoughts or feelings, the point of view is called third-person objective.

Identification and Application:

●To determine how an author develops the narrator’s point of view in a work of fiction, first look for pronouns that reveal
how the narrator is referring to characters in the story.

○When a narrator uses pronouns such as I and me, they indicate a first-person point of view. This narrator is a
character who is involved in the story’s plot.

○If the narrator addresses the reader as you, this is called second-person point of view.

○If the narrator never refers to himself or herself, and refers to all the characters as he and she, him and her, the
narrator is not a character and not involved in the plot. The story is written from the third-person point of view.

●Next, if the point of view is third-person, determine whether the narrative, or storytelling, point of view is third-person
omniscient, limited omniscient, or objective.

●Remember that different characters in a story have different points of view. If the narrator is also a character, his or her
personality, interests, and background will help determine the narrative point of view.

Model

Narrative point of view is one of the first elements readers notice in a work of fiction. In this excerpt from Chapter 1 of Walter
Dean Myers’s novel Sunrise Over Fallujah, the first-person plural pronoun “We” at the start of the first sentence immediately
lets readers know that the narrator is a character involved in the story’s action. Readers will experience people and events
through this character’s eyes and ears and from what he says and does. Notice how Myers develops the first-person point of
view:

We left the tent and drifted out into the bright Kuwaiti sun. The intense direct light was always a bit of a shock and I saw
guys going for their water bottles. I wasn’t sure whether I should drink as much water as possible or try to train myself to
drink less.

The narrator is someone who is in the process of getting used to a new setting. He says that the “intense direct light was
always a bit of a shock” so the reader can infer that he’s been in Kuwait for at least a few days. Readers also learn that the
narrator is observant and reflective. He watches the other guys drinking as much water as possible, but he wonders whether
this strategy is the best preparation to survive a war in this climate. He thinks it might be better to train his body to survive in
the heat with less water.

Model

In paragraph 2, the reader learns more about the character of the narrator and his situation:

After two weeks in country, I was still trying to get used to the heat and even complaining like everybody else, but down deep this is a little exciting, too. I’m
also wondering if there really is going to be a war.

Through the narrator’s thoughts in paragraph 2, readers learn that he finds being in a new country and in a new, potentially dangerous situation, “a little exciting.” Yet
he’s unsure about what’s going to happen. Will there be a war, or won’t there be a war? While readers may know the answer to this question—for example, from
their own research—it’s important to remember that the narrator at this point in the story does not know. The story is told from the point of view of a man who is
genuinely uncertain about what will happen next.

Notice, however, that readers learn about the narrator not only from his thoughts, but also from his interaction with other characters such as Kennedy.

“Say, Birdy, weren’t you at Fort Dix?” she asked.

“Yeah, and the name is Robin, not Birdy,” I said.

“Whatever,” she said. “I like Birdy better.”

“Kennedy, I knocked out the last person who got my name wrong,” I said.

Based on what the narrator says to Kennedy, readers learn that he prefers to be called Robin, not Birdy, and that he is willing to hit a person who calls him by
another name. At the same time, readers are not told anything about Kennedy’s innermost thoughts and feelings. Readers only learn about her from what the
narrator tells them about the conversation.

Model

Later, through Robin’s conversation with Jonesy, readers are given a glimpse not only of the way in which this narrator views others, but also of the way in which he
views himself:

I liked Jonesy even though I wasn’t sure what he was talking about sometimes. Like when he asked me if I was a hero.

“No,” I answered.

“You tall—how tall are you?”

“Six foot two.”

“A lot of tall dudes are hero types,” Jonesy said. “You go crazy trying to watch their backs. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, but I’m not the hero type,” I said.

Having admitted early that he is excited by being at the camp, perhaps even by the possibility of war itself, Robin nevertheless states that he does not regard himself
as a hero. Jonesy suggests that because many big men feel as if they have something to prove in war, they take physical risks. Jonesy doesn’t want to be charged with
watching the back of someone who is going to take unnecessary risks in battle. The narrator assures Jonesy that he isn’t a “hero type,” so Jonesy has nothing to
worry about.

Robin’s point of view will shape the information he provides. A different narrator with a different personality and character traits—perhaps a character who is very
afraid of war, or one who is determined to be the bravest soldier of all— most likely would have a very different point of view about what takes place in the story.

Your Turn

Read this section from Chapter 1 of Sunrise Over Fallujah to determine the narrator’s point of view and answer the follow-up
questions.

… I grabbed some meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and string beans, and found a table. One of the guys who had been at the meeting with Major Sessions
came over and asked if he could join me.

“Sure,” I said. The guy was about five-seven with smooth brown skin and a round face. Solidly built, he looked like he could take care of himself. But
when I saw his camouflage do-rag and dark shades I knew he was a little different.

Multiple Choice

Part A

What is the narrator’s point of view toward the guy he later learns is named Jonesy?

• The guy is fearful.

• The guy is rude.

• The guy is unusual.

• The guy is frail.

Multiple Choice

Part B

Which phrase from the passage supports the narrator’s point of view in Part A?

• “he was a little different”

• “asked if he could join me”

• “five-seven with smooth brown skin”

• “looked like he could take care of himself”