Stylistic Devices – Points of View

first or third person narration

First-person narrator

The narrator tells the story from his / her point of view (I). It is a limited point of view as the reader will only know what the narrator knows. The advantage of the first person narration is that the narrator shares his / her personal experiences and secrets with the reader so that the reader feels part of the story.

Example:

• Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre

Third-person narrator

The narrator is not part of the plot and tells the story in the third person (he, she). Usually the narrator is all-knowing (omniscient narrator): he / she can switch from one scene to another, but also focus on a single character from time to time.

Example:

• Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist

The third-person narrator can also be a personal narrator (point of view of one character) who tells the story in the third person (he, she), but only from the central character's point of view. This point of view is rarely used.

Example:

• James Joyce: Ulysses

Changed: 06th Nov 2006 11:33

URL: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/style/point-of-view