Point of View: First Person
The point of view is a way of telling a story from the narrator's perspective. The three types of point of view each have their own way of telling a story. Let's take a look.
You know a story is in first person when the character himself or herself is telling the story. The narrator is often, but not always, the main character. This chart on first person gives you more information:
First person point of view chart
 |
Let's look at another example:
''It was the first time I ever performed on stage. Our school was having a talent show. My talent was juggling five, large, plastic rings at a time. My heart felt like it was going to sink as the announcer said my name.''
You can tell this is first person because of the pronouns: ''I,'' ''our,'' and ''my.''
Second & Third Person
A story is told in second person point of view when it's told to an audience or to you. This point of view isn't as common. The narrator uses the pronouns: ''you,'' ''your,'' or ''yours.'' You might see second person with directions that are given, poems, song lyrics, and even quotes. In fact, this lesson is written for an audience or for you! So it's in second person point of view.
You know a narrator is using third person when someone outside of the story is telling the story; the narrator isn't a character within the story. Look out for these pronouns: ''he,'' ''she,'' ''it,'' ''him,'' ''his,'' ''her,'' ''hers,'' ''they,'' ''them,'' and ''their.''
There are three different ways a narrator can use third person point of view: objective, limited, and omniscient, depending on how much of the story they are aware of. This chart can be used to learn more:
Types of third person chart
 |
Example:
''It wasn't easy being trapped in a cabin during a blizzard. Kara and her family had been overjoyed going on a holiday trip. Little did they know an enormous blizzard was brewing! Her brother asked, 'How will we get more food?'''
Did you notice the pronouns ''it,'' ''her,'' ''their,'' and ''they?'' Each of them tells you this is third person point of view.
Lesson Summary
A narrator is a person telling a story and those stories can be told from different points of view, or ways of telling a story based on pronouns and amount of information known. By searching carefully for pronouns (words that replace nouns) in a story, you can figure out which point of view is used. Knowing if the story is first person, second person, or third person tells you who the narrator is.
