POV

• 1st Person POV pronouns

  • I
  • me
  • my
  • we
  • our
• First person Narrator

  • Uses "I"
  • Story is told from a main character's POV
• First person Narrator Pros


  • Readers see events from the perspective of an important character
  • Readers often understand the main character better
• First person Narrator Cons

  • The narrator may be unreliable—insane, naïve, deceptive, narrow-minded etc...
  • Readers see only one perspective
• 2nd Person POV pronouns

  • You
  • yours
  • your
  • yourself
• 2nd Person Narrator


  • rare in literature
  • Uses 'you' - creates a tone of intimacy and makes the reader a part of the story
  • Often the narrator is speaking to the audience
• Second Person Narrator Pros

  • Easily create an emotional response because it addresses the reader directly
  • Helps create a loving/intimate tone
  • Makes the writing more memorable because this POV is so unusual
• Second Person Narrator Cons

  • Sometimes can seem jarring or unnatural because readers are not very used to it
  • The perspective can be confusing depending on who is being addressed; the reader, the main character, or someone else
• 3 types of 3rd person POV

  • Omniscient
  • Limited
  • Multiple
• Omniscient

  All-knowing narrator who can see into the minds of all characters, make comments on events, and is aware of all details about the story and its world
• 3rd Person POV: Omniscient

  • Very natural technique where the author is omniscient regarding his/her work
  • Story is not limited by only one character's knowledge of events
• 3rd Person POV: Omniscient Pros

  • Not lifelike; narrator knows and tells all; is truly a convention of literature
  • Can make the reader feel detached and feel less empathy towards the main character
• 3rd Person POV: Omniscient Cons

  
  

  • not lifelike; narrator knows and tells all; is truly a convention of literature

  
  

  • can make reader feel detached and feel less empathy towards the main character
• 3rd Person POV: LimitedCons

  • Best of both worlds - we feel we really know the character but are still using third person
  • Gives the impression that we are very close to the mind of that ONE character, though viewing it from a distance
• 3rd Person POV: Limited Pros


  • Sometimes this narrator can be too focused or narrow, or may impose his/her own opinions with no grounds
• 3rd Person POV: Multiple

  Narrator uses third person pronouns (he, she, it), but writes in the perspective of multiple characters
• 3rd Person POV: Multiple Pros

  • Get the inner world of multiple characters
  • Best of both worlds - we get multiple perspectives, but also get to know characters really well through the limited perspective
• 3rd person Multiple Cons

  • Can be a challenge to make sure the reader knows when the POV has switched from the perspective of one character to another.