Novel Study: Point of View

In literature, point of view refers to the person who tells the story. Most narratives are written in one of the following points of view:

first person: a character involved tells the story.
third person: a narrator tells the story.

Choosing a point of view is one of the most important decisions a writer makes when telling a story because it “shapes” and “colours” the entire narrative. The novel Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobie is written in first person – the events are told by the main character, Trudy “Jujube” Gelb.

Challenge #1

Both the first person and third person points of view have advantages and disadvantages. Below is a chart identifying an advantage and disadvantage of the first-person point of view. Working with a partner, complete the chart by identifying an advantage and disadvantage of the third person point of view.

Point of View

Advantages

Disadvantages

First
person

This is the most intimate and engaging point of view because the reader “hears” the story from a person directly involved in the experience. The reader must carefully weigh what is offered, however, to determine the reliability of her information. Challenging information for accuracy and bias can increase your interaction with the story.

This is a very limiting point of view because the writer can only include information that this character would know. The writer can not include details about events happening outside of the character’s personal experiences, unless he/she provides another means for the character to discover these events (i.e – receive a letter, phone call, conversation with another character)

Third
person

TASK 2 -

Which point of view is used to present the story you're reading?

Suggest reasons why the author chose that particular point of view to tell the story.