The points of view are:
- First person: Uses first-person pronouns to narrate the story from the subject’s perspective (e.g., “I jumped”)
- Second person: Uses “you” to immerse the reader into the story (e.g., “You jumped”)
- Third person: Uses third-person pronouns to tell the story from an outside perspective (e.g., “He jumped”)
Table of contents
Point of view
Narrative point of view (also known as narrative perspective) refers to the viewpoint of the storyteller relative to the story.
For example, autobiographies are written from the first-person point of view because the writer uses first-person pronouns such as “I” and “me” to recount their life story and experiences based on their personal perspective.
The second-person point of view is the least common of the narrative perspectives. While some second-person novels exist (especially in gamebooks, where readers make decisions on how the story proceeds), they are quite rare.
Instead, the second-person point of view is most often used in copywriting and other marketing material that directly addresses the audience by using the pronoun “you” (e.g., “You need to buy this”). Additionally, it is also used in instruction manuals, guidebooks, and recipes where the subject (i.e., “you”) isn’t explicitly stated (e.g., “Preheat the oven for fifteen minutes”).
Lastly, the third-person point of view narrates the story from an exterior perspective. In other words, the narrator is not a part of the story itself but is simply telling it. The third-person perspective includes three different types: omniscient, limited, and objective.
| First person | I counted to ten and then looked for my friends, who were hiding from me. |
| Second person | You counted to ten and then looked for your friends, who were hiding from you. |
| Third person | She counted to ten and then looked for her friends, who were hiding from her |
Note
Please note that although narrative points of view and grammatical persons have overarching elements, they are distinct concepts.
Narrative point of view refers to the perspective of the narrator in a book or story, whereas grammatical person refers to the perspective of the subject in a sentence—any sentence—which indicates who is speaking (or writing) and who is being referred to.
Both rely on first-person, second-person, or third-person pronouns to indicate the perspective being used.
First-person point of view
The first-person point of view (or first-person perspective) refers to a type of narration in which the storyteller shares the story based on their personal standpoint. That means that the first-person point of view involves the use of first-person pronouns (e.g., “I,” “me,” “we,” “mine,” etc.).
For example, imagine your best friend goes on vacation, and when she comes back, she wants to tell you all about it. She’ll most likely share her experiences using the first-person point of view (e.g., “Every morning I took a short walk to the beach to watch the sunrise”).
First person examples
First person involves the use of the following pronouns:
- I
- Me
- Mine
- Myself
- We
- Us
- Our
- Ourselves
Sentences written in the first person examples
I’m starving, so I think I'm going to order an appetizer and an entrée.We have been to several countries, but our favorites are Italy, Japan, and Montenegro.
As soon as we were next in line for the rollercoaster, we asked, “What did we get ourselves into?”
The first-person point of view can be found in both fiction and non-fiction writing. In fiction writing, the story is usually told from the perspective of the protagonist.
First-person point of view in fiction writing example
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an example of a famous novel written from the first-person point of view. The narrator guides the reader to see things from the perspective of the young protagonist, Jean “Scout” Finch.“But I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said.”
—Jean “Scout” Finch (from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
In non-fiction writing, the first-person point of view is often found in memoirs, autobiographies, and other similar genres.
First-person point of view in non-fiction writing example
Educated by Tara Westover is a memoir in which the author recounts her experience growing up with survivalist parents, an abusive older brother, and no formal education.“‘I thought we were just supposed to look at the pictures.’ This sounded stupid when said aloud.”
—Educated by Tara Westover
Second-person point of view
The second-person point of view is the least common narrative perspective used in storytelling. The narrator essentially makes the reader a part of the story by using second-person pronouns (e.g., “you”, “yours,” etc.) to tell the reader what they are thinking and doing.
Let’s return to the example of your best friend going on vacation and wanting to tell you all about it. Wanting to convince you to join her next year, she uses the second-person point of view (e.g., “Imagine this. Every morning, you take a short walk to the beach to watch the sunrise”).
Second person examples
Second person involves the use of the following pronouns:
- You (singular and plural)
- Yours (singular and plural)
- Yourself
- Yourselves
Sentences written in the second person examples
You paused for a second and whispered something to yourself.What’s yours is yours, and you don’t need to share with your siblings.
You hid behind the counter, and when your dad came in, you jumped up and screamed, “Surprise!”
The second-person point of view is rarely used in novels. However, some books do incorporate second-person pronouns to deeply immerse the reader in the story. For example, gamebooks involve the reader by presenting various choices that eventually lead to different conclusions.
Second person example in books
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is written from a second-person perspective that puts the reader directly in the shoes of the protagonist, allowing the reader to connect more deeply to the character and his experiences.“Every time you remember something, the memory weakens, as you’re remembering the last recollection, rather than the memory itself. Nothing can remain intact. Still, it does not stop you wanting, does not stop you longing.”
—Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Many companies incorporate the second-person point of view in their advertisements to connect with the audience on a more personal level. Sometimes, the subject (i.e. “you”) is explicitly stated, other times it is not.
Second person examples in advertisement
“Because you’re worth it. (L'Oréal)“Smell like a man, man” (Old Spice)
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands” (M&M’s)
“Just do it” (Nike)
“Have it your way” (Burger King)
Third-person point of view
The third-person point of view refers to a narrator who is telling the story from an outside perspective. In other words, the narrator sees (and sometimes knows) everything that is going on in the story’s world and is recounting it to the reader.
Let’s say your best friend goes on vacation, but this time she goes with her cousins, who cause chaos. She tells you the story about what happened during her vacation, including all the crazy things her cousins did, but she uses the third-person point of view to separate herself from her unruly cousins (e.g., “Every morning they would wake up the entire hotel with their loud commotion”).
Third person examples
The third person involves the use of the following pronouns:
- He/him/his/himself
- She/her/hers/herself
- It/its/itself
- They/them/theirs/themselves
Keep in mind that the third person could also involve the use of proper names (e.g., “Billy cried during the movie”).
Sentences written in the third person examples
She was beside herself with anger when she found out what happened to her brand-new car.He couldn’t believe that he had gotten himself into such deep trouble.
They tied their legs together to compete in the three-legged race.
The third-person point of view is the most popular narrative perspective, with the narrator telling the story as someone who is not a part of the story itself but is simply recounting it.
There are three different types of third-person narratives:
- Omniscient: Provides an all-knowing viewpoint, where the narrator knows and can reveal the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of all characters involved in the story
- Limited (or close): Narrator is limited to the perspective of a single character, only knowing what the specific character knows, sees, or experiences
- Objective: Narrator maintains a strictly external viewpoint, avoiding sharing the thoughts or feelings of any character but instead presenting actions, dialogue, and events as they occur
Third person omniscient example
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is written from the third-person omniscient point of view. Although the narrator focuses mostly on the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, the reader has access to the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of multiple characters throughout the novel.“Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.”
—Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Third person limited example
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is written from a third-person limited point of view, meaning the narrator only has access to Guy Montag’s (the protagonist) inner world and shares his viewpoint on society and everything that is going on around him.“He strode in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.
Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame.”
—Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Third person objective example
Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway uses the third-person objective point of view, in which the narrator objectively tells the story of a man and his girlfriend waiting in a train station, discussing the possibility of an unspecified operation. The reader can only presume the character’s thoughts, feelings, or perspectives based on their dialogue.“He picked up the two heavy bags and carried them around the station to the other tracks. He looked up the tracks but could not see the train. Coming back, he walked through the barroom, where people waiting for the train were drinking. He drank an Anis at the bar and looked at the people. They were all waiting reasonably for the train. He went out through the bead curtain. She was sitting at the table and smiled at him.”
—Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
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