Elements of Fiction — Point of View

What is Point of View?

Point of View is the perspective from which a story is told.

It tells us who is telling the story and what the reader can know about the characters and events.

Think of it like a camera.
Point of view decides where the camera is and what the reader gets to see.

First Person

The narrator is a character in the story. The story is told using words such as I, me, my, and we.

Example:

"I walked into the dark room. I could hear something moving behind me, but I was too scared to turn around."

Second Person

The narrator speaks directly to the reader using you, your, and yours.

📖 Example:

"You walk into the dark room. You hear something moving behind you."

Third Person

The narrator is outside the story and refers to characters using he, she, they, and names.

Example:

"Jonah walked into the dark room. They heard something moving behind them."

Third-Person Limited

The narrator follows one character closely and mainly shows that character's thoughts and feelings.

"Jonah wondered if the strange noise was coming from upstairs. They felt nervous."

Third-Person Omniscient

The narrator knows the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of multiple characters.

"Jonah was nervous, but Oscar wasn't worried at all. Meanwhile, their Dog already knew what was coming."

Third-Person Objective

The narrator only describes what can be observed. The narrator does not directly tell us a character's thoughts or feelings.

"Jonah entered the room and looked around. the Dog stood near the window."

👁️

First Person:
"I am running toward the finish line!"

Second Person:
"You are running toward the finish line!"

Third Person:
"Jordan is running toward the finish line!"