Elements of Fiction - Point of View

Literature is an art and not a science. Therefore, it is difficult to define the elements of fiction. However, each story must contain certain elements and one of these elements is point of view. Point of view is an element of fiction that is concerned with the source and scope of the narrative voice. The narrative voice is, essentially, the voice of the narrator telling the story. The story is told from the perspective of the narrator or speaker. It is important for the student of literature to make the distinction between the narrator of the story and the author of the story. The views of the narrator do not necessarily represent the views of the author. This narrative point of view is essentially how the story is told and who is telling the story.

There are many different variations of point of view. However, for the sake of simplicity, we can categorize these variations into three distinct categories. When an author uses the first person point of view, readers will the personal pronouns "I, me, mine, we." If an author uses this point of view to tell a story, readers will see the author as being a character within the story. An author can also use second-person point of view. This particular point of view is rarely used by authors because it must be written using the personal pronoun "you." One of the reasons that authors rarely use this point of view is because the author must project the action onto the reader. For example, an author may write: "Thorns from a blackberry bush are pulling at your camouflage pants as you walk slowly and silently into the valley below." What if the reader is from the city and has never walked a valley or been snared by a blackberry bush? How can that reader get into the story? Authors can also use third-person point of view. Authors use the personal pronouns "he, she, and it" when writing in third person. One of the strengths of using the third-person point of view is that the author is not limited by what a character in the story (the "I, me, mine" character) or the person reading the story (the "you") knows or understands. The narrator is not in the story when authors use third-person point of view - the narrator is instead outside the story.

The first-person point of view can also be broken down into additional categories. For example, if the narrator is the main character in the story, the point of view is called first-person protagonist. If the narrator is not the main character in the story, but is, instead, a minor character, the point of view is first-person observer.

In addition, the third-person point of view can also be broken down into additional categories. When authors use the third-person point of view, the story is not being told by a character in the story, but is instead, told by an invisible observer. If this invisible observer gives the reader the thoughts going on in a character's mind, the invisible observer is called a third-person omniscient narrator. Loosely translated, the word omniscient means "all knowing." If this invisible observer only gives the reader information that one can see and hear - like the narrator is a video camera - then the invisible observer is called a third-person dramatic narrator.

If we were to summarize the varying points of view, we might categorize them as follows:

• First person narration by a major character

• First person narration by a minor character

• Third person narration by an all knowing invisible observer

• Third person narration by an invisible observer that sees into the mind of a major character

• Third person narration by an invisible observer that sees into the mind of a minor character

• Third person narration by an invisible observer that is objective (doesn't see into anything or anyone).

The important thing to remember about point of view is that the author's choice about how to tell the story and through whose eyes the story is told has a significant effect on how the reader experiences the story. If an author uses first-person, to narrate the story, the author is limited by the character's observations and thoughts. In addition, the way in which the narrating character sees the world is the way in which the reader will be forced to see it. Third-person point of view enables the author to narrate the story from a position that is outside of the story itself. When an author uses a third-person omniscient point of view, the narrative voice can see everything including the thoughts and feelings of any of the characters. When the narrator appears to be "all knowing," the point of view is called third-person omniscient. When the narrator only appears to be "all knowing about one or two characters, the point of view is called third-person limited (or selective) omniscience. In addition, sometimes the narrator may add an occasional comment or opinion. This is called editorial omniscience. When the narrator only tells the reader facts that can be seen or heard (as if the narrator is taking on the role of a video camera), then it is called third-person objective point of view.

It is also important to remember that an author can emphasize different things using different points of view. If the story is told from the point of view of the main character, readers have access to the thought of the main character and can understand what motivates the character to do the things that the character does. If the author doesn't want us to have that knowledge, the author could use a minor character to tell the story or could tell the story using the third-person objective. Each of these points of view has limitations. Even thenarrator with total omniscience can be problematic. For example, it requires a great deal of skill for the author to manage the actions as well as the thoughts of multiple characters within the parameters of the story. In addition, what if the plot of the story is dependent upon the reader not knowing everything? How can the author have an unreliable or naïve narrator using the third-person total omniscient point of view? By artfully using point of view, authors make the reader see the world through that point of view. This is one reason why point of view is such an important element of fiction.