POV Read and Respond

When a writer begins a new story, she must decide who will tell the story. Point of view is who tells the story, or the “voice” that the story is told in. It's the place from which a narrator sees and understands what is happening.

Read the following passage.

“We’re going to put on a play, Miriam!” Zakir announced, waving his hands in my face. I immediately began to think of what part I’d like to play. I thought at first I’d like to play a witch or a goblin—I’d been working for weeks on an eerie, low-sounding screech that I was sure would steal the show. But I knew Zakir was secretly afraid of things like that—he’d never agree to a play about the occult. And, I remembered, the only audience for the play was our father, and he would quietly reprimand me for being insensitive to my brother’s phobias. I could already hear his gentle scolding. "Don't tease him, Miriam," he would say. I thought of playing a queen, but maybe there wouldn’t be enough to do with that part. Our little sister, Dinah, would probably insist on wearing the house’s toy crown, too. I looked around our living room, spying a pair of green tights doubled down between the couch cushions. A wrestler? Maybe.

What point of view is this passage written in?

• third person limited

• third person omniscient

• second person

• first person

In the first person point of view, the narrator is telling a story and is a character in the story. He or she is directly involved in the events that happen. First person narration often uses the pronoun “I”.

Read the following passage.

The carousel lurched into life, its jarringly sweet song abruptly sounding through the nearly empty park. A flock of birds startled and scattered across the sky. I called out, “Whoops, sorry!” to the few families waiting for a turn. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” one of the fathers sighed, leading his son away from the creaky ride.

Which detail from the text best indicates that this story is told in the first person?

• "'You've got to be kidding me'...”

• “The carousel lurched into life…”

• “I called out, 'Whoops, sorry!'”

• “A flock of birds startled...”

In the first person point of view, we sometimes encounter an unreliable narrator. This is a narrator who can't be trusted or speaks with a biased view.

Read the following passage.

I have to tell you—I’ve never won anything in my life. I’ve lost every contest I’ve ever entered. I mean, there was the time I won the school raffle, but that doesn’t count because the prize was so small—only a new book bag. That book bag fell apart right after I used it, so it’s obviously not a good prize. And you can’t count the time I won that quiz on the radio because in that case, there wasn’t even a prize! Just bragging rights! I was the only person listening who knew that Carmelo Anthony owns a camel. And I am not counting the time I won the school spelling bee because I nearly lost it—it was so close, I was two points behind my competitor. So you should believe me when I say I’ve never won a contest, ever, and it’s about time I start.

Which detail from the passage provides the best evidence that the narrator is unreliable?

• “You should believe me when I say...”

• “That book bag fell apart right after I used it...”

• “I was the only person listening who knew that Carmelo Anthony owns a camel.”

• “I mean, there was the time I won the school raffle, but that doesn’t count.”

In the second person point of view, the narrator is not a character in the story – but “you” are. Speeches and instruction manuals are often written in the second person. Second person often uses the pronoun “you”.

Which of the following is an example of second person point of view?

• “Guys,” I said, “I think we may be heading the wrong way.”

• You slowly realize you didn’t step in mud.

• She quickly convinced us that we should follow her.

• We try to welcome all newcomers.

In the third person point of view, the narrator is not a character in the story and exists completely outside of the story. All characters are described as “he,” “she” or “it.”

Which of the following is an example of third person point of view?

• You could have worn anything you wanted to this costume party.

• I’m probably the only kid in this class who really understands the tuba.

• I watched the leaves fall slowly to the ground, swirling in the wind.

• He’s not the most generous kid, but he is the bravest.

There are two different types of third person point of view:

Limited: Here, the narrator focuses his attention on one character. The reader knows what's going on with the other characters, but knows what one particular character is thinking. For example, “As Anne and Lisa biked through the park in search of their lost cat, Lisa worried they might not find him.”

Omniscient: From this point of view, the narrator is all-knowing. He watches all that is happening and can describe the innermost thoughts and feelings of all characters in the story. For example: “Anne felt sure they'd find their cat by sundown, but Lisa thought it might take even longer.”

Which of the following sentences is the best example of an omniscient third person point of view?

• Karli was anxious about making the cake, but her brother was more confident—he knew things would go well.

• Karli and her brother agreed to make the cake for their father’s wedding and set about buying supplies.

• Karli jealously watched her brother frost the cake, certain that he was doing this to annoy her.

• He asked if I would be willing to be in charge of desserts, and I said I couldn’t possibly begin to answer that question.