{"id":139,"date":"2021-08-13T12:22:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-13T16:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/point-of-view-narrative-dialogue\/"},"modified":"2023-02-01T11:45:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T16:45:38","slug":"point-of-view-narrative-dialogue","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/point-of-view-narrative-dialogue\/","title":{"raw":"Point of View, Narrative, and Dialogue","rendered":"Point of View, Narrative, and Dialogue"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"point-of-view\">\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-138 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/>Prose fiction is a story written in the narrative. The narrator may or may not be a character in the story. There are three main [pb_glossary id=\"226\"]points of view (PoV)[\/pb_glossary]; we describe writing as being in the first, second, or third person.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"point-of-view\">\r\n<h1>First Person PoV<\/h1>\r\nFirst person PoV uses pronouns like <strong>I, me, us, our, <\/strong>and<strong> we<\/strong>.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>When you read a passage written in first person, it\u2019s as if you\u2019re inside that person\u2019s head, seeing through their eyes. You think what they think, see what they see, and know what they know.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>strength<\/strong> of first person is in the way it shares emotional intensity. We <em>feel<\/em> what the narrator feels. We respond to events along with them.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>weakness<\/strong> of first person is its lack of significant information. We only know what the narrator knows; we can\u2019t get into the heads of other characters who are nearby. We also only see what that narrator sees; we can\u2019t see what else is going on around them or even around the next bend in the road. The first person narrator\u2019s knowledge of all the story\u2019s events is limited.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Writers tend to use first person when they want to convey emotional intensity, as in a personal narrative, or when they want us to know the narrator intimately.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Example<\/h2>\r\n\u201cI could picture it. I have a habit of imagining the conversations between my friends. We went out to the Cafe Napolitain to have an aperitif and watch the evening crowd on the Boulevard\u201d (from Ernest Hemingway's <em>The Sun Also Rises<\/em>).\r\n<h1>Second Person PoV<\/h1>\r\nSecond person PoV uses pronouns like <strong>you, your, <\/strong>and<strong> yourself<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nWhen you read a passage written in second person, it\u2019s as if the writer is talking directly to you.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>strength<\/strong> of second person is in a direct connection with narrator and reader; when reading second person, you feel as if you\u2019re having a conversation with the narrator. This is especially effective when they are giving instructions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>weakness<\/strong> of second person is that it limits the audience by making it seem the narrator is talking to only one person. It can create a strange \u201cdreamy\u201d tone that may make the text feel strange. It can also feel aggressive or accusatory.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Writers may use second person when they want to talk directly to one reader, give instructions, or create a dreamy or meditative passage.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Examples<\/h2>\r\n\"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know\u201d (from Dr. Seuss' <em>Oh, the Places You'll Go!<\/em>).<br style=\"clear: both;\" \/><br style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\u201cYou are walking through a forest\u2026. It is peaceful\u2026. You breathe deeply and slowly as you listen to the forest sounds around you\u2026. You hear the sounds of leaves underfoot as you follow the path\u2026. You find a fallen log\u2026. You sit down\u201d (meditation sequence).\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen you fill out the form, use a #2 pencil\u201d (instructions).\r\n<h1>Third Person PoV<\/h1>\r\nThird person PoV uses pronouns like <strong>she, he, it, them, <\/strong>and <strong>their<\/strong> and omits \u201cI.\u201d\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Can be\u00a0[pb_glossary id=\"215\"]omniscient[\/pb_glossary] or\u00a0[pb_glossary id=\"218\"]limited omniscient[\/pb_glossary].<\/li>\r\n \t<li>When you read a passage written in third person, you experience a perspective that is all-seeing and all-knowing. A third person narrator can see past, present, and future; they can also know whatever any character knows as well as how that character feels and thinks. They have a full view of whatever is in front of, behind, beside, above, or below them. In short, they can see the entire scene. Third person is all about facts.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>strength<\/strong> of third person is its ability to be informative. It sees all, knows all, and shares this with the reader. Because it does not use the \u201cI\u201d voice, it feels objective and smart.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The <strong>weakness<\/strong> of third person is its lack of intimacy. It\u2019s focused on information and thus tells us little about emotion and feelings. We end up knowing a lot about the setting and events and not much about the human nature of the characters, what they\u2019re thinking, or what they plan to do next.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Writers tend to use third person when they want to write objectively without sounding emotional or biased. Much college, research, and professional writing is done in third person. And note that there are a number of sub-forms of third person; you may hear more about these if you study creative writing.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Example<\/h2>\r\n\u201cThe seller of lightning-rods arrived just ahead of the storm. He came along the street of Green Town, Illinois, in the late cloudy October day, sneaking glances over his shoulder. Somewhere not so far back, vast lightnings stomped the earth. Somewhere, a storm like a great beast with terrible teeth could not be denied\u201d (from Ray Bradbury's <em>Something Wicked This Way Comes<\/em>).\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nChoose your own short story, or use a story your instructor has assigned. Use examples from the story where applicable.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>What type of narrator does this story have? 1st person \/ 2nd person \/ 3rd person<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Give two examples that show the point of view of the narrator. (2 marks)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is the narrator a character in the story? Yes \/ No<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If the narrator is 3rd person, is it omniscient or limited omniscient? Explain.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Who is\/are the main character\/s?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What other characters are in the story?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Write a brief plot summary of what happens in the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story. (3 marks)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Dialogue<\/h1>\r\nDialogue is the talking characters do. Narrative is everything other than dialogue.\r\n\r\nDialogue can also be one character talking to themself or thinking\u2014this is internal dialogue.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u00a0Example of spoken dialogue: Nathan walked right up to Mr. Pearson and said, \u201cI quit this stupid basketball team.\u201d\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u00a0This type of dialogue almost always has quotation marks around the spoken words.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Example of internal dialogue: Cynthia wondered, <em>Will I ever fulfill my dreams?<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u00a0This type of dialogue is often in italics.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercises<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nAnswer the following questions to review point of view, narration, and dialogue:\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"4\"]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3>Text Attributions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>This chapter was adapted from \"<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/openoregon.pressbooks.pub\/wrd\/chapter\/point-of-view\/\">Point of View<\/a>\" in <em>The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Media Attributions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\"<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/4NqD86\">Water drop in a dandelion seed<\/a>\" by <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/photophilde\/\">photophilde<\/a> is licensed under <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\">CC BY-SA 2.0 Licence<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"point-of-view\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-138 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view-65x43.jpg 65w, https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/358\/2021\/08\/point-of-view.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Prose fiction is a story written in the narrative. The narrator may or may not be a character in the story. There are three main <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_139_226\">points of view (PoV)<\/a>; we describe writing as being in the first, second, or third person.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"point-of-view\">\n<h1>First Person PoV<\/h1>\n<p>First person PoV uses pronouns like <strong>I, me, us, our, <\/strong>and<strong> we<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When you read a passage written in first person, it\u2019s as if you\u2019re inside that person\u2019s head, seeing through their eyes. You think what they think, see what they see, and know what they know.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>strength<\/strong> of first person is in the way it shares emotional intensity. We <em>feel<\/em> what the narrator feels. We respond to events along with them.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>weakness<\/strong> of first person is its lack of significant information. We only know what the narrator knows; we can\u2019t get into the heads of other characters who are nearby. We also only see what that narrator sees; we can\u2019t see what else is going on around them or even around the next bend in the road. The first person narrator\u2019s knowledge of all the story\u2019s events is limited.<\/li>\n<li>Writers tend to use first person when they want to convey emotional intensity, as in a personal narrative, or when they want us to know the narrator intimately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Example<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI could picture it. I have a habit of imagining the conversations between my friends. We went out to the Cafe Napolitain to have an aperitif and watch the evening crowd on the Boulevard\u201d (from Ernest Hemingway&#8217;s <em>The Sun Also Rises<\/em>).<\/p>\n<h1>Second Person PoV<\/h1>\n<p>Second person PoV uses pronouns like <strong>you, your, <\/strong>and<strong> yourself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When you read a passage written in second person, it\u2019s as if the writer is talking directly to you.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>strength<\/strong> of second person is in a direct connection with narrator and reader; when reading second person, you feel as if you\u2019re having a conversation with the narrator. This is especially effective when they are giving instructions.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>weakness<\/strong> of second person is that it limits the audience by making it seem the narrator is talking to only one person. It can create a strange \u201cdreamy\u201d tone that may make the text feel strange. It can also feel aggressive or accusatory.<\/li>\n<li>Writers may use second person when they want to talk directly to one reader, give instructions, or create a dreamy or meditative passage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Examples<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You&#8217;re on your own. And you know what you know\u201d (from Dr. Seuss&#8217; <em>Oh, the Places You&#8217;ll Go!<\/em>).<br style=\"clear: both;\" \/><br style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\u201cYou are walking through a forest\u2026. It is peaceful\u2026. You breathe deeply and slowly as you listen to the forest sounds around you\u2026. You hear the sounds of leaves underfoot as you follow the path\u2026. You find a fallen log\u2026. You sit down\u201d (meditation sequence).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you fill out the form, use a #2 pencil\u201d (instructions).<\/p>\n<h1>Third Person PoV<\/h1>\n<p>Third person PoV uses pronouns like <strong>she, he, it, them, <\/strong>and <strong>their<\/strong> and omits \u201cI.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Can be\u00a0<a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_139_215\">omniscient<\/a> or\u00a0<a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_139_218\">limited omniscient<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>When you read a passage written in third person, you experience a perspective that is all-seeing and all-knowing. A third person narrator can see past, present, and future; they can also know whatever any character knows as well as how that character feels and thinks. They have a full view of whatever is in front of, behind, beside, above, or below them. In short, they can see the entire scene. Third person is all about facts.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>strength<\/strong> of third person is its ability to be informative. It sees all, knows all, and shares this with the reader. Because it does not use the \u201cI\u201d voice, it feels objective and smart.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>weakness<\/strong> of third person is its lack of intimacy. It\u2019s focused on information and thus tells us little about emotion and feelings. We end up knowing a lot about the setting and events and not much about the human nature of the characters, what they\u2019re thinking, or what they plan to do next.<\/li>\n<li>Writers tend to use third person when they want to write objectively without sounding emotional or biased. Much college, research, and professional writing is done in third person. And note that there are a number of sub-forms of third person; you may hear more about these if you study creative writing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Example<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe seller of lightning-rods arrived just ahead of the storm. He came along the street of Green Town, Illinois, in the late cloudy October day, sneaking glances over his shoulder. Somewhere not so far back, vast lightnings stomped the earth. Somewhere, a storm like a great beast with terrible teeth could not be denied\u201d (from Ray Bradbury&#8217;s <em>Something Wicked This Way Comes<\/em>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Choose your own short story, or use a story your instructor has assigned. Use examples from the story where applicable.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What type of narrator does this story have? 1st person \/ 2nd person \/ 3rd person<\/li>\n<li>Give two examples that show the point of view of the narrator. (2 marks)<\/li>\n<li>Is the narrator a character in the story? Yes \/ No<\/li>\n<li>If the narrator is 3rd person, is it omniscient or limited omniscient? Explain.<\/li>\n<li>Who is\/are the main character\/s?<\/li>\n<li>What other characters are in the story?<\/li>\n<li>Write a brief plot summary of what happens in the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story. (3 marks)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Dialogue<\/h1>\n<p>Dialogue is the talking characters do. Narrative is everything other than dialogue.<\/p>\n<p>Dialogue can also be one character talking to themself or thinking\u2014this is internal dialogue.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Example of spoken dialogue: Nathan walked right up to Mr. Pearson and said, \u201cI quit this stupid basketball team.\u201d\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0This type of dialogue almost always has quotation marks around the spoken words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Example of internal dialogue: Cynthia wondered, <em>Will I ever fulfill my dreams?<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0This type of dialogue is often in italics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercises<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Answer the following questions to review point of view, narration, and dialogue:<\/p>\n<div id=\"h5p-4\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-4\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"4\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Point of View, Narrative, and Dialogue\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Text Attributions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>This chapter was adapted from &#8220;<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/openoregon.pressbooks.pub\/wrd\/chapter\/point-of-view\/\">Point of View<\/a>&#8221; in <em>The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Media Attributions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/4NqD86\">Water drop in a dandelion seed<\/a>&#8221; by <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/photophilde\/\">photophilde<\/a> is licensed under <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\">CC BY-SA 2.0 Licence<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_139_226\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_139_226\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>A narrator's perspective as they explain what\u2019s happening around them. PoV can be first, second, or third person.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_139_215\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_139_215\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>omni = all<br \/>\nscient =  knowing<\/p>\n<p>this narrator knows all about every character and will show you their thoughts and feelings<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_139_218\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_139_218\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>the narrator shows all about limited characters, not all characters<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":90,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-139","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":134,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/139\/revisions\/266"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/134"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/139\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=139"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=139"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}