Point of View – Different Types and Explanation

Reading – Point of view

Point of View – The perspective from which a story is told is called its point of view.

• It refers to the ‘eyes’ of the narrative voice that determine the position from which the story is being relayed.
• Simply put point of view refers to the perspective that the narrator holds in relation to the events of the story.
• All types of writing are written from the point of view. It is also an important element of a story.

Types of Point of View

• First-person point of view
• Second-person point of view
• Third-person limited point of view
• Third-person omniscient point of view
• Fourth-person point of view

Rule – The reader needs to look at the pronouns used in narration and not in dialogues to identify the type of point of view.

First-Person Point of View

• Everything is told from the viewpoint of the main character, usually the protagonist.
• With a first-person view, readers understand the thoughts and feelings of the main character.
• The story is told by the main character, and readers see into the character’s life.
• The First-person point of view is identified by singular or plural first-person pronouns.
  • Singular first-person –I, me, mine, my, myself
  • Plural first-person –Our, ourselves, we, us

Second-Person Point of View

• The narrator speaks to the reader directly. The reader is brought into the action of the story and is addressed by using the pronoun ‘you.’
• The second-person view attempts to turn the reader into the character.
• The second-person point of view is often used in instructional writing, speeches, and poems.
• Second-person pronouns – You, yours, your, yourself/yourselves

Third-Person Point of View

• There is a narrative presence telling the story and referring to the characters in the third person as ‘he’ or ‘she.’
• The third-person point of view is subdivided into third-person limited and third-person omniscient.

Third-Person Limited Point of View

• The narrator is closely assigned to one character. The narrator has access to the thoughts and experiences of just one character.

Third-person Omniscient Point of View

• The narrator has access to all experiences, feelings, and thoughts of all the characters in the story. It is not limited to one character.

Third-Person Pronouns

• Singular pronouns – She, he, him, her, his, hers, herself, himself, it, its, itself
• Plural pronouns – They, them, their, theirs, themselves

Fourth-Person Point of View

• It is a collection of perspectives.
• Multiple narrators tell the story as one.
• Narrative voice encompasses a larger group and speaks collectively on behalf of the group.
• Generic referents are used to refer to all members of a group.
• There is a use of the words ‘we’ and ‘us.’
• Example of a larger group:
  • A community
  • A social group
  • A group of animals