2. Theory – Point of view
Theory – Point of view
Person
○ First person
First person narrators, who are usually the protagonist, use “I” to tell their story. This gives narratives a personal effect, and can sometimes even blur the boundaries between the author and protagonist. Some stories which use first person may even conceal the protagonist’s name. However, when the story is told just from one person’s perspective, the reader is often unaware of anything the narrator does not know.
Example: “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.” —To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
| Pros: Good for expressing feelings/thoughtsHelps develop a strong ‘who’Easy to writeHelps to immerse reader in character’s perspective | Cons: Story restricted to one perspectiveCharacter voice should be observant/articulate for the sake of good writingHard to make character voice interesting/unique |
○ Second person
Second person narration is rare, and the narrator uses “you” to tell the story. This can have an effect of universalisation and can sound wise. It can even immerse the reader by involving and addressing them directly. However, second person is best relegated to short pieces, as it can sound irritating if maintained for too long!
Example: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” — “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell
| Pros: Unique | Cons: Not used often/uniqueAmbiguous protagonistRepetitive pronoun (‘you’)Imposes descriptions/actions upon readerHard to write |
○ Third person (RECOMMENDED)
Third person is the most common and versatile point-of-view from which to write. It uses the pronouns “he/she/it/they”, and/or named characters. It can cover a wide range of perspectives, as it can be confined to one character’s thoughts or expanded to several.
Example: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” —Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
| Pros: Easiest to writeBetter worldbuilding using different perspectives. Allows description of wider setting/characters/plotStory doesn’t have to revolve around the protagonistCan create dramatic ironyEasier to showcase your writing skillsZoom in and out of a character’s inner thoughtsCan create a distinctive authorial voice (can make comments) | Cons: Easy to ‘tell’ not ‘show’ |
Depth of knowledge
○ Limited
When a narrator’s point of view is limited, the reader only knows what the narrator knows. As a result, we can’t tell anyone other character’s viewpoint in the narrative except by what they do or say. Narratives with limited point of view does not have to only be told in first person or by one narrator—you could have several different limited perspective narrators in the one story.
In fact, a narrator can be unreliable too, whether it be because they are lying or have an altered/unstable mental state. This technique is called “unreliable narrator” and is not uncommon in limited perspective narration. An example of unreliable narration is Amy Hempel’s personal essay “The Harvest”, in which she tells and retells the story of a motor vehicle accident but constantly changes the details of what happens in it.
○ Omniscient
An omniscient narrator is the opposite of a limited perspective narrator, as they know everything that is happening in the story. Here, the narrator roves from character to character, showing or explaining everyone’s point of view.
Where limited narrators are often a character within the story, omniscient narrators can be detached from the story itself or even another version of the author. Examples include Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, in which Snicket inserts himself as an omniscient narrator who can show everyone’s perspective and drop extra background information; and Mary Renault’s Fire from Heaven which has a completely detached narrator who provides snippets of each character’s thoughts as the action progresses.