Explain the concept of point of view in literature.

English Literary Terms Questions



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Explain the concept of point of view in literature.

Point of view in literature refers to the perspective from which a story is told. It determines the narrator's relationship to the events and characters in the story. There are three main types of point of view: first person, second person, and third person.

First person point of view is when the narrator is a character in the story and uses pronouns like "I" and "we" to tell the story. This allows the reader to experience the events through the narrator's thoughts and feelings.

Second person point of view is when the narrator directly addresses the reader as "you." This is less common in literature and is often used in instructional or self-help texts.

Third person point of view is when the narrator is an outsider and uses pronouns like "he," "she," and "they" to tell the story. There are two subtypes of third person point of view: limited and omniscient. In limited third person, the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character, while in omniscient third person, the narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters.

The choice of point of view can greatly impact the reader's understanding and interpretation of the story, as it influences the amount of information and perspective provided.