Lesson Two

   LESSON TWO

In Lesson One, you learned about the author’s point of view or his/her attitude about the topic. It is the stance the author has taken. The reader can figure out the author’s point of view by reading carefully what the author has written. All of the following can play a part in indicating what the author's point of view is: an author's word choices, voice, tone, guesses and assumptions, prejudices, beliefs, understandings, choice of details, choice of details omitted. There are four types of authors’ points of view. When an author writes a narrative paragraph, she/he must first decide from which point of view she/he is going to write; and then that decision must be relayed to the reader through the words which the author chooses to use.

The four points of view are the following:

First-person point of view — The narrator is a character in the story; and the story gets told through what he sees, hears, and observes. The narrator uses first-person pronouns.

Third-person point of view — The narrator is not a character in the story but is an observer of it. The narrator tells the story as if she/he were an outsider looking in. The narrator tells the story by telling what the characters in the story say or do. The narrator is unable to look into anyone’s mind; therefore, the reader only knows what the narrator is able to observe.

Third-person limited — The narrator tells the story as if he/she were looking through the eyes of one character. The story gets told by telling what the one character thinks, sees, feels, observes, and does.

Third-person omniscient (all knowing) — The narrator knows and relays thoughts and actions of all the characters. It is as if the narrator can see into the minds of all the main characters, and the story gets told by revealing what their inner-most thoughts are.

In this Lesson, you will learn the advantages and disadvantages of each of the four authors' points of view. As with most things in life, there are pros and cons for each of the four types. It is important that you know the disadvantages and advantages of the various authors' points of view. This knowledge will help you to choose the right authors’ point of view when you write your own composition. The various points of view should be used appropriately, or they will be ineffective and make no sense to the reader. For instance, Sherlock Holmes' mysteries would not be effective at all if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had chosen to write the mysteries in the Third-person omniscient. The  suspense would have been destroyed if the readers had known all along what everyone was thinking and doing. It is important that you learn how to choose the authors' point of view which will fit the composition you are writing.

FIRST-PERSON POINT OF VIEW (ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES)

Remember that when an author writes from the First-person point of view, he/she is a character in the story. The tale is told through what he/she observes and hears. First-person pronouns such as I, me, my, and mine are used. The advantage of choosing the First-person point of view is that the author is writing from his own point of view. The details and information are easier to create and communicate because they are from the author’s own experiences. The writer can focus on what he/she observed, felt, saw, thought, and did. Personal opinion and comments can be added. There is little need for researching and interviewing. This point of view is excellent in letting others know about you and your personal experiences. Writing from this point of view can be exceptionally enjoyable. 

The disadvantage of using the First-person point of view is that the information may not be completely factual and may be biased or unreliable. As you read a persuasive composition in which the author is using First-person point of view, you should always carefully analyze how accurate you think the author's information is. An author cannot persuade his/her audience simply by telling about his/her own experiences. Stating personal opinions is not convincing or believable. There must be supporting details and proof when trying to do a persuasive writing, and the choice of First-person point of view may not be the best choice to use in a persuasive composition.

THIRD-PERSON POINT OF VIEW (ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES)

When an author chooses to write from the Third-person point of view, he/she simply observes what is going on in the story. The author, or narrator, can write about what the characters are doing and saying. The author cannot see into the minds of any of the characters. The advantage of writing from this point of view is that the author is completely removed from the story and simply tells what he/she observes. Using this point of view, the author does not have to describe what any of the characters is thinking. This type of writing is easier to do. The author just tells a story and does not have to be concerned with going from one character’s thoughts to the next. The reader gets only the information that the writer chooses to add. This type of writing is not only easier to do but also can be entertaining to the audience.

The disadvantage of using the Third-person point of view is that a reader cannot know what the characters are actually thinking. This provides for lack of sharpness and liveliness. When an author adds direct thoughts and quotes, the reader identifies with the characters better and develops more feeling for them. This adds interest and excitement to the writing. It also makes the writing more persuasive and convincing.

THIRD-PERSON LIMITED POINT OF VIEW (ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES)

The Third-person limited point of view allows the story to be told by the author telling what one character thinks, sees, feels, observes, and does. The pronoun I is used often as one character in the story tells what is going on from his/her particular point of view. 

The advantage of using this point of view in writing is that it can be used in persuasive writing to appeal to the reader. The reader gets close to the one character because of knowing what he/she is thinking and feeling. The Third-person limited point of view is excellent when the author wants to cause the reader to feel sympathetic toward one character.

Third-person limited point of view is excellent for use when creating advertisements. Here are some examples of how writers can use this point of view to appeal to the audience and to convince them to buy a product/service or to get them to do something: “If you don’t use this medication, you will become sicker.”

“If you don’t use this medication, you will become sicker.”

“Your country depends on you!”

“If you use this business suit, you will be quite successful.”

“Nick Jacobs, the popular mayor of Duberville, believes that Alexander's Restaurant is the best place in town to eat.”

The disadvantage of writing from the Third-person limited point of view is that it is written from only one person’s point of view which may not be reliable. One person’s opinions, experiences, and observations may not be very convincing and may not offer enough support to give the writing credibility.

THIRD-PERSON OMNISCIENT (ALL-KNOWING) POINT OF VIEW (ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES)

The Third-person omniscient (all knowing) point of view allows the writer, or narrator, to know and relay thoughts and actions of all the characters. It is as if the narrator can see into the minds of all the main characters, and the story gets told by revealing what their inner-most thoughts are.

The advantage of this point of view is that the writing is very exciting as all characters’ thoughts are revealed. The story is very believable and convincing. The characters' actions are intensified because the reader knows what the characters are thinking and feeling. The reader’s interest level can be very high when reading a piece that is written from this point of view.

The disadvantage of writing from this point of view is that it can be difficult for the author to jump from one character’s thoughts and mindset to the next. It is also hard for the author to change the "voice” of each character so that each one is not similar to the other characters. Writing from this point of view is more difficult but well worth it once you figure out how to describe each character's thoughts and feelings with skill.