Point of view

The Point of view is the relation in which the narrator stands to the story.

Is there a character in the story speaking as “I”?
NO = third-person point of view			YES = first-person point of view
Are you informed about the thoughts and emotions of …			Is the narrator (who is a character in the story) …
all characters	some characters	no character	the protagonist	not the protagonist
omniscient narrator	selective narrator	objective narrator	protagonist-narrator	witness-narrator
unlimited perspective	limited perspective		limited perspective
the omniscient narrator can be neutral, but often comments on and evaluates what happens (“intrusive omniscient narrator”)	the selective narrator can also be called “limited omniscient narrator”	the objective narrator is impersonal, i.e. he/ she reports from the outside as a “hidden observer”	the protagonist-narrator is the central character of the story	the witness-narrator often is very close to the protagonist (e.g. a friend or relative)

Useful phrases
The author	·         is not identical with the narrator ·         uses/ employs a … narrator ·         makes use of a third-person point of view
The narrator	·         is the voice or character telling the story ·         tells the story in the first or third person ·         can have a limited or an unlimited perspective
A first-person narrator	·         is him-/ herself a character in the story, speaks as “I” ·         takes part in the action as a witness/ an observer or is the central character ·         is limited to what he himself knows/ experiences/ learns from somebody else
A third-person narrator	·         is not a character in the story ·         refers to the characters in the story as “he”, “she” or “they” or by their names ·         decides to what extent he informs the reader about the action and the characters
The omniscient narrator	·         enters the minds of the characters at will ·         can add his own comments and explanations
The selective narrator/ third-person limited narrator/ limited omniscient narrator	·         makes the reader see everything through the eyes of one character ·         confines himself to what is experienced, thought and felt by a single character
The objective narrator	·         is impersonal, unobtrusive, self-effacing ·         presents only the external action and not the characters’ thoughts and feelings ·         does not add comments and judgments