PointofViewCharacterization.pptxPoint of View – The role the narrator plays in the events of a story, and any limits placed on his or her knowledge of the events.
First person (participant narrator) – The narrator is a dramatized character who says “I” while narrating the events of the story.
Third person (nonparticipant narrator) – The narrator does not appear in the story and sees into the minds of one or more of the characters.
Third person limited – The narrator sees the events through a single character, using “he” or “she” to narrate the story through that character’s perspective
Third person omniscient – The narrator sees into the minds of any or all of the characters, allowing the reader to know the thoughts and motives of each.
Point of View cont…
Objective Point of View – The narrator does not enter the mind of any character but describes events from the outside.
Innocent or naïve narrator – The story is told by a character who fails to understand all the implications of the story (example – Huck Finn, who initially accepts the lawfulness of slavery)
Unreliable narrator – The story is told by a character who we perceive as deceptive, self-deceptive, deluded, or deranged (examples -- Catcher in the Rye, Tell-Tale Heart)
Stream of consciousness
In a stream of consciousness narrative, thoughts and sense impressions are presented in a lifelike fashion – not in a sequence arranged by logic, but mingled randomly.
A well-known short story told in a stream of consciousness narrative is “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” by Katherine Anne Porter.
Types of characters
Flat character – A character that has only one outstanding trait or feature. They are usually “static,” not changing throughout the story. Example – the “stock” character of the mad scientist, or Tiny Tim of The Christmas Carol.
Round character – A character that is presented in more detail, with more depth. A round character is usually “dynamic,” changing and developing throughout the story.
