Point of ViewPoint of View

NarrationNarration

OverviewOverview

►Do you read without questioning a text Do you read without questioning a text or the author’s viewpoint?or the author’s viewpoint?

►Do you look at the author’s purpose, Do you look at the author’s purpose, examine viewpoints, or recognize gaps examine viewpoints, or recognize gaps in the text?in the text?

►Remember to consider different Remember to consider different viewpoints when reading.viewpoints when reading.

Point of ViewPoint of View

►Stories are not reflections of reality Stories are not reflections of reality but are selective versions of it, told but are selective versions of it, told from a particular view.from a particular view.

►The author positions the reader to The author positions the reader to respond to a story in a particular way respond to a story in a particular way through the use of language, point of through the use of language, point of view, etc..view, etc..

PassagesPassages

►Read “The House” and think about it Read “The House” and think about it from the point of view of the role that from the point of view of the role that you have been given at the bottom of you have been given at the bottom of your paper. Do not divulge your role to your paper. Do not divulge your role to anyone else.anyone else.

The Story of the Three Little The Story of the Three Little PigsPigs

►What prior knowledge to you have about What prior knowledge to you have about the story of the three little pigs?the story of the three little pigs?

►Read the two different versions of The Read the two different versions of The Three Little PigsThree Little Pigs

►Which point of view is correct?Which point of view is correct?►What are some things that happen in What are some things that happen in

both stories? What are some differences?both stories? What are some differences?►How would other fairy tales change if How would other fairy tales change if

told from another point of view?told from another point of view?

NarrationNarration

►Refers to the act of telling a story, Refers to the act of telling a story, whether in prose or in verse, and the whether in prose or in verse, and the means by which that telling is means by which that telling is accomplished. accomplished.

►The The Narrator is the one who tells the Narrator is the one who tells the story. story.

►The narrator’s identity is different from The narrator’s identity is different from the author because the narrator is, in the author because the narrator is, in some sense, the author’s invention.some sense, the author’s invention.

ExamplesExamples

► In In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the narrator is a barely literate the narrator is a barely literate teenage boy, most unlike Mark Twain.teenage boy, most unlike Mark Twain.

►However, in However, in The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby, the , the earnest moralist Nick Carraway may earnest moralist Nick Carraway may have some similarities to F. Scott have some similarities to F. Scott Fitzgerald.Fitzgerald.

►What about What about The Kite Runner?The Kite Runner?

First Person P.O.V.First Person P.O.V.

► Immediate and directImmediate and direct► Creates engagement with the reader Creates engagement with the reader

because the narrator has experienced the because the narrator has experienced the event first hand.event first hand.

► First person can impose limitations on the First person can impose limitations on the teller because the narrator can relate only teller because the narrator can relate only what he or she might have witnessed. what he or she might have witnessed.

► There too the narrator’s degree of There too the narrator’s degree of understanding and objectivity must come understanding and objectivity must come into question.into question.

First PersonFirst Person

►These narrators can be unreliable These narrators can be unreliable and / or naïve who color or distort and / or naïve who color or distort matters in ways that the reader may matters in ways that the reader may or may not detect.or may not detect.

ExampleExample

►Reader, I married him. A quiet wedding Reader, I married him. A quiet wedding we had: he and I, the parson and clerk, we had: he and I, the parson and clerk, were alone present. When we got back were alone present. When we got back from church, I went into the kitchen of from church, I went into the kitchen of the manor-house, where Mary was the manor-house, where Mary was cooking the dinner, and John cleaning cooking the dinner, and John cleaning the knives, and I said –the knives, and I said –““Mary, I have been married to Mr. Rochester Mary, I have been married to Mr. Rochester

this morning.”this morning.”Bronte’s Bronte’s Jane EyreJane Eyre

Third Person P.O.V.Third Person P.O.V.

►Narrator has a much broader view and Narrator has a much broader view and usually an objective perspective on usually an objective perspective on characters and events. characters and events.

Omniscient Third PersonOmniscient Third Person

►Narrator can enter the consciousness Narrator can enter the consciousness of any character, evaluate motives of any character, evaluate motives and feelings, and recount the and feelings, and recount the background and predict the outcome background and predict the outcome of situations.of situations.

Limited ExampleLimited Example

►She thought of the old invalid gentleman She thought of the old invalid gentleman to whom she read the newspaper four to whom she read the newspaper four afternoons a week while he slept in the afternoons a week while he slept in the garden. She had got quite used to the frail garden. She had got quite used to the frail head on the cotton pillow, the hollowed head on the cotton pillow, the hollowed eyes, the open mouth and the high eyes, the open mouth and the high pinched nose. If he’d been dead she pinched nose. If he’d been dead she mightn’t have noticed for weeks; she mightn’t have noticed for weeks; she wouldn’t have minded.wouldn’t have minded.Mansfield’s “Miss Brill”Mansfield’s “Miss Brill”

Omniscient ExampleOmniscient Example

► The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. As the stretched out on the hills, resting. As the landscape changed from brown to green, the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began to tremble with army awakened, and began to tremble with eagerness at the noise of rumors. It cast its eagerness at the noise of rumors. It cast its eyes upon the roads, which were growing eyes upon the roads, which were growing from long troughs of liquid mud to proper from long troughs of liquid mud to proper thoroughfares. A river, amber-tinted . . .thoroughfares. A river, amber-tinted . . .

Crane’s Crane’s The Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage

Limited Third PersonLimited Third Person

►Narrator describes events only from Narrator describes events only from the perspective and with the the perspective and with the understanding of one, or sometimes, a understanding of one, or sometimes, a select few characters.select few characters.

Second Person P.O.V.Second Person P.O.V.

►Narrator addresses the audience Narrator addresses the audience directly using the pronoun “you.”directly using the pronoun “you.”

►Assumes the audience is experiencing Assumes the audience is experiencing events along with the narrator.events along with the narrator.

►This P.O.V. is rareThis P.O.V. is rare

Second Person ExampleSecond Person Example

►Monday arrives on schedule. You sleep Monday arrives on schedule. You sleep through the first ten hours. God only through the first ten hours. God only knows what happened to Sunday.knows what happened to Sunday.

McInerney’s McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big City

The Kite RunnerThe Kite Runner

►We discussed Amir as a narrator We discussed Amir as a narrator yesterday.yesterday.

►Why do you so closely associate Why do you so closely associate Hosseini with Amir?Hosseini with Amir?

►Find examples in the text where Amir Find examples in the text where Amir is proves that he is indeed telling the is proves that he is indeed telling the full truth of the story.full truth of the story.

Information taken from . . .Information taken from . . .

►The Bedford Glossary of Critical and The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary TermsLiterary Terms

►Essential Literary TermsEssential Literary Terms