"What is Point of View?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

What is a point of view in literature? What are some examples of different kinds of points of view? The novelist and Senior Lecturer John Larison answers these questions using examples from everyday life and video games. The short video is designed to help high school and college English students to not only identify different points of view in stories but also to analyze their purposes and effects.
This video now includes Spanish as well as English subtitles. To switch between languages, click on the "settings" button in the video.
The video is sponsored by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University. For more discussions of literary topics and essay writing tips, please subscribe to the free SWLF KZbin Channel or visit liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/w...
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction to Point of View
0:44 Third-Person Point of View
2:27 Second-Person Point of View
3:27 First-Person Point of View
4:41 Direct Address Point of View
5:15 Point of View in Video Games
Below are a few more videos in the series. Please drop us a comment letting us know what literary terms you would like us to explore in future videos!
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"What is a stanza?": • "What is a Stanza?": A...
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"What is figurative language?": • "What is Figurative La...
"What is irony?': • "What is Irony?": A Li...
"What is a metaphor?": • "What is a Metaphor?":...
"What is a simile?": • "What is a Simile?": A...
"What is hyperbole?": • "What is Hyperbole?": ...
"What is a imagery?": • "What is Imagery?": A ...
"What is a sonnet?": • "What is a Sonnet?": A...
"What is metonymy?": • "What is Metonymy?": A...
"What is synecdoche?": • "What is a Synecdoche?...
"What is enjambment?": • "What is Enjambment?":...
"What is satire?": • "What is Satire?": A L...
"What is juxtaposition?": • "What is Juxtaposition...
"What is foreshadowing?": • "What is Foreshadowing...
"What is understatement?": • "What is Understatemen...
"What is rhyme?": • "What is Rhyme in Poet...
"What is an unreliable narrator?": • "What is an Unreliable...
"What is a genre?": • "What is a Genre?": A ...
"What is a narrative arc?": • "What is a Narrative A...
"What is a flashback?": • "What is a Flashback?"...
"What is personification?": • "What is Personificati...
"What is a narrator?": • "What is a Narrator?":...
"What is a flat character vs a round character?": • "What is a Flat Charac...
"What is symbolism?": • "What is Symbolism?": ...
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part I)": • "What is a Graphic Nov...
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part II)": • "What is a Graphic Nov...
"What is epistrophe?": • "What is Epistrophe?":...
"What is poetic meter?": • "What is Meter in Poet...
"What is a portmanteau?": • "What is a Portmanteau...
"What is anaphora?": • "What is Anaphora?": A...
"What is an oxymoron?": • "What is an Oxymoron?"...
"What is a zeugma?": • "What is a Zeugma?": A...
"What is free indirect discourse?": • "What is Free Indirect...
"What is a vehicle and a tenor?": • "What are Vehicles and...
"What is the uncanny?": • "What is the Uncanny?"...
"What is a point of view?": • "What is Point of View...
"What is deus ex machina?": • "What is Deus Ex Machi...
"What is a frame story?": • "What is a Frame Story...
"What is ekphrasis?": • "What is Ekphrasis?": ...
"What is blank verse?": • "What is Blank Verse?"...
"What is an epistolary novel?": • "What is an Epistolary...
"What is allegory?": • "What is an Allegory?"...
"What is tragedy?": • "What is a Tragedy?": ...
"What are euphony and cacophony?": • "What are Euphony and ...
"What are assonance and consonance?": • "What are Assonance an... ​​
"What is a setting in literature?": • "What is a Setting?": ... ​​
"What is onomatopoeia?": • "What is Onomatopoeia?... ​​
"What is theme in literature?": www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5KZc...
"What is a conflict in literature?": • "What is Conflict in L... ​
"What is persona?": • "What is a Persona?": ...
"What is a dramatic monologue?": • "What is a Dramatic Mo...
"What is an allusion?": • "What is an Allusion?"...
"What is alliteration?": • "What is Alliteration?...
"What is an epic?": • "What is an Epic?": A ...
"What is an ars poetica?": • "What is an Ars Poetic...
"What is a motif?": • "What is a Motif?": A ...
"What is a protagonist?": • "What is a Protagonist...
"What is literature?": • "What is Literature?":...
"What is a foil?": • "What is a Foil?": A L...

[@SWLF]

This video now includes Spanish as well as English subtitles. For a full list of dual-language videos in our series, please see the following site: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms

[@maedeyazdi2416]

I'm not a native English speakers and i love how simple and complete this video is, it helped me for one of my presentations, thank you so much

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Maede! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@Nia-yz4ft]

One can never forget this lesson and ofcourse the “ squeaky feet " . Thank you Oregon university!!!!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for supporting the series, Nia!

[@caleballen4282]

High school language arts teacher here. This video is great! Thanks for these resources.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Caleb! We're delighted to hear the series is getting some use. Stay healthy!

[@vanesta6376]

@@SWLF sorry but this is english britsh or america???

[@SWLF]

@@vanesta6376 This is American English. The Brits might have slightly different pronunciation, but the definition is the same.

[@phoennejakecline6583]

thanks!, this is by far the clearest discussion about POV i've ever heard.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Phoenne! We hope you find the other videos in our series useful as well.

[@beverlysimple411]

I am an aspiring middle school ELA teacher, and these videos are a great help. They are by far the most quality, engaging content about literature I have found till date. I actually can trust that the people teaching me are experts. Thanks a lot.

[@SWLF]

Wow! Thanks so much for these incredibly kind words, Beverly! We're so happy to hear that you've found our series useful to you as you work towards becoming an ELA teacher.

[@SWLF]

If you liked this video, let us know by dropping us a comment! Doing so will help us to build a rich digital learning environment around the topic of narrative point of view in storytelling.

[@karterlg1062]

This really helped, Thanks very much!

[@SWLF]

@@karterlg1062 Thanks so much, Karter! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@karterlg1062]

@@SWLF yes I will definitely watch the other videos for short easy to understand terms

[@brianxx5411]

college sophmore here! I needed a refresher, thank you so much! This was super clear and easy to keep up with.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Brian! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@mariashaikh4497]

The video was really helpful. Thank you!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Maria! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@marysetelusma7058]

Excellent explanation, thank you so much 🙏

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Maryse! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@aalliiaa1212]

Just discovered this page! So helpful!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for supporting the series, Alia! We're delighted to hear that you are enjoying the videos!

[@sanaullah6764]

Give me your WhatsApp number

[@kesi3029]

excellent resource for ELA teaching, especially for today's sophisticated middle schoolers.

[@SWLF]

Wow, thanks so much, @kesi3029! We're delighted to hear that you've found this series useful in your teaching!

[@atharvsingh3410]

Wow! Amazing explanation 😍

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for checking out more of our lessons, Atharv!

[@anne9449]

thank you, this was super helpful!:)

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Anne! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@SammyJ96]

Had to subscribed. Thank you!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for supporting the series, Sam!

[@timwhite794]

Nicely encapsulated

[@SWLF]

Thanks, TIM. We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@phantomworld13dimenstionse8]

Thanks Sir !!!! I owe you one!!!!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Phantom World! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@alainalalwani9473]

This video helped me alot

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Alaina! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@Randomela]

Thx! 11 year old aspiring novelist here!

[@SWLF]

Good luck with that novel!

[@hemalakshmi4250]

Well explained sir 👏👍👌

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Hema!

[@scott4825]

Well done!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for supporting the series, Scott!

[@danielburns1556]

Hi, was, "Just his luck,' third person close, or third person omniscient (if the narrator knew what John was thinking), or was it free indirect discourse? I want to write a story using a third person narrator, where my narrator is not a character in the story but outside the story, telling it. The story's focus would be on one main character, but I don't want to write in close third person, I want to be farther away so I can describe things he's not thinking or feeling, such as describing the setting. Would that be omniscient due to the fact that the narrator has knowledge of everything everywhere, or would this simply be third person. I would also like to occasionally mention thoughts and feelings and perceptions and sensation, such as, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Would that be doable in third person omniscient or would I have to use third person close, or limited? My other question/concern is this, can an omniscient narrator narrate events a character doesn't know and/or isn't currently thinking or feeling? Would mentioning things in a story that no one was thinking of, such as the weather or the age of a castle or an owl perched on a branch outside his the character's window as he slept, mean the narrator is omniscient? Or can a third person narrator also accomplish that, without it being considered omniscient? I'm wondering other than addressing the reader and asides, where the line is drawn between third person and third person omniscient (assuming there is only one main character being focused on in the story like third person limited). An omniscient narrator isn't just that the narrator can reveal the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters, but also they have knowledge of everything and can mention anything anytime to the reader? Sorry if that is worded confusingly. I guess I am wondering if it's still considered omniscient narration if the narrator only ever mentions the main character's perceptions, but also gives the reader asides, and also mentions things the character doesn't know, or if that is just plain third person narration. Would chiming in with his own asides, to the reader, make any third person story omniscient, even if they never left the main character except for asides and occasional extra information? Lastly, I'm wondering how a reader knows when the perception in the story is the character's, or the omniscient narrator's? He grit his teeth, clenched his eyes and strained with all his might against the tire iron, sweat bubbled and dripped from his forehead. Is this third person or third person omniscient? It's kind of third person close since it's 'zooming in' to the character's experience, but it could also be an omniscient narrator describing this event using his own point of view? I need help telling the difference! Anything you can offer will be a huge help! Trying to learn as much as I'm able so can write the best story I can.

[@SWLF]

Thanks for the questions, Daniel. It sounds like the narrator you're looking for is a third-person omniscient with occasional drops into "free indirect discourse." We discuss this term in another one of our videos, and plenty of authors have used it in the past to both describe scenes in the way that you want to and, at times, drop into the worldview of a given character. As that other video suggests, John Steinbeck (who is rarely identified with FID) uses the term to great effect in The Red Pony, and you might see how that works in that story for some inspiration. As to your other questions, we hope someone else out there in KZbinland will chime in with their suggestions as well. In a perfect world, we'd like this to be a broader conversation with a bunch of talented people here. What does everyone else think?

[@tetzlaffjo]

So what do we do when Fleabag, in the show "Fleabag", breaks the 4th wall and narrates the events of her own life in 2nd person, while looking at the camera? What point of view is it called when she does this? Most of the show is third person-we're watching the events like any other show we watch-but for a hot second she's looking directly at us and describing the events in 3rd person while narrating her own actions in second person; what do we gain by switching between these points of view, and why does thinking about it hurt my brain?

[@SWLF]

Great question, Jodi! As fate would have it, one of our next videos in the series is on the "fourth wall," so look for answers to that question soon. In the meantime, what does everyone else think?

[@Qasim.896]

It's much informative

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Asif! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@notify4471]

Is is a great experience of learning....

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your continued support, Epic!

[@boadirose174]

Can we say objective third person instead of close third person?

[@SWLF]

Thanks for the question, Boadi! No, third-person objective is sort of the opposite of close third-person. The "objective" narrator can't see the thoughts of a given character or set of characters. A "close" third person can. We hope that clears it up!

[@boadirose174]

@@SWLF Thanks for your answer. And also thank you for the video. 😊😊

[@SWLF]

@@boadirose174 Thanks so much, Boadi! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@legendaryandso2091]

Can your other characters be in first-person telling their stories too, instead of your main character telling all the story?

[@SWLF]

Great question, Legendary Andso! Yes, many novels will bounce between different first-person narrators as they move from chapter to chapter. William Faulkner, for example, uses this roving technique in his great works The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying. Thanks for pushing the conversation forward!

[@legendaryandso2091]

Thank you for answering.

[@TyphoonMC]

With the times! Surprising but welcomed 😂

[@SWLF]

Thanks, TyphoonMC! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@destroyer6470]

Its called a First person shooter because the viewing angle is first person, the story perspective is however second person. They have not and will most likely never change this due to it being what people know and are comfortable with as a name for the genre.

[@SWLF]

We like this distinction, Destroyer64! Thanks for the comment and for keeping the conversation going!

[@destroyer6470]

@@SWLF You are very welcome.

[@jonathanmagerli1919]

Thank you for this. But, is a narrator still unreliable if he (in the story I am reading) acknowledges from time to time that what he recounts might have occured differently? The narrator in the story I'm reading is actually reminiscing his past. By giving voice to other characters, i.e., by using direct speech, the narrative seems plausible. "Maps" by Nuruddin Farah, has a narration relevant to this video since the person of narration alternates between first, second and third throughout the book.

[@SWLF]

Interesting! The most conventional unreliable narrator is oblivious to the fact that his / her / their perspective on the world is limited (see our "What is an Unreliable Narrator?" video). We're not familiar with Farah's work, but in being self-consciously aware of his limitations, we wouldn't read him through the same kind of ironic distance as a typical unreliable narrator. He'd still be considered unreliable, of course!

[@astridskeys8539]

I am in middle school and i still don't get this

[@riynu7774]

how do you refer to a gender neutral person with "they"? it would make sense if there are many people but what are we supposed to do when there is only one ( gender neutral) person in the scene? kinda confused

[@SWLF]

Great question, Riy! We'll actually be putting out a video in our grammar series soon on this very concept and the evolving history of the "they" pronoun, which has changed substantially in a very short span of time. We hope you'll check it out when we post it later this fall.

[@riynu7774]

@@SWLF ok thank you

[@anirutkitsawat1238]

"There has never been a first-person shooter" Call of Duty and Battlefield : Are we a joke to you?

[@SWLF]

Ha! We'd call those "second-person" games. After all, "you" are performing the actions in the games.

[@vanesta6376]

my english is not very good yet😪😞

[@SWLF]

Keep working on it, sayco! You'll be fluent in no time!

[@fxwod6184]

Bruh you could see how he tries to speak freely but always looks at the screen reading the script xD

[@mchacker3725]

I don't now what are you saying

[@SWLF]

You are welcome to read the entire transcript if it'd be easier here: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-point-of-view

[@gus361]

You know second person is great for a devilish visitor.

[@SWLF]

Ha! Which visitor were you thinking of?

[@natalielesueur7460]

"Audiences point of view" is missing an apostrophe

[@SWLF]

FINALLY someone recognizes the foreshadowing that subtly advertises of our "How to Use Apostrophes" video. Good catch, Natalie!

[@natalielesueur7460]

Touché ! and the excellent comma splice one !

[@jaidraharthur2647]

Anyone else here for English?😂

[@SWLF]

Most of us, we'd imagine.

[@Lwitaletwins2006]

Yeah 🤣🤣

[@lostsoul2184]

well,you're wrong about the videogames obviously .

[@SWLF]

How so, Lost soul? Wouldn't a "first-person" game (if it was meant in the same way as we use the term in literary studies) be one in which the narrator is the character telling us of his or her adventures?

[@lostsoul2184]

@@SWLF you've clearly never played Deadpool

[@SWLF]

@@lostsoul2184 Ha! We have not. Does he do the same kind of meta-commentary in the game that he does in the movies?

[@lostsoul2184]

@@SWLF play it

[@yinyangthang]

"Mud-soaked shoes" is such a cliche' phrase.

[@SWLF]

Dang, you're coming in hot, @yinyangthang ! Where else does this phrase occur that makes it so cliched?

[@yinyangthang]

Lol. Sorry, just a joke.@@SWLF

[@SWLF]

Ha! To be fair, Prof Larison does use it a LOT in this video. Thanks for dropping by, @@yinyangthang

[@chrispaquette7513]

And by the way, I disagree with the speaker that there will never be a video game told from the first-person point of view, or that if there was one, the game would be dull. Check out the first Ninja Gaiden for NES. All of the cutscenes are given from the first person perspective. Additionally, the sequence of events--concerned with ninja intrigue and the surreptitious activity of dark organizations--have a subtle way of causing us to suspect the narrator. With the "second person shooter" we notice a difference between *what* we see and *how* we see it, which gives the real point of view. In a game like Ninja Gaiden (I'm sure there are others), *what* we see is from the outside, but *how* we see it is from the characters perspective.

[@SWLF]

Interesting, Chris! We're not familiar with Ninja Gaiden, but what does everyone else think? Is this a truly first-person game or is it a second-person unreliable narrator? And thanks for keeping the conversation going!

[@chrispaquette7513]

Look, I'm sorry about your shoes, okay?

[@SWLF]

Ha! We're still not over it.

[@nataliablake9810]

JESUS CHRIST LOVES YOU ALL GOD BLESS!!!!!!!!! PROVERBS 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

[@thedarkbountyhunter7592]

He, she, they 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Subscribe_To_Purple]

Fun! -🤓

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, @Subscribe_To_Purple ! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!