ELA+Digital+Notebook

Jasmine Baring DIGITAL NOTES 1:1 ELA MS. BULLOCK

__TABLE OF CONTENTS__ PAGE 3-4……………………………………………… Point Of View PAGE 5-6……………………………………………… “TITLE”

Title: Point Of View Jasmine B Date: 2-21-12

__NOTES: Point Of View__ Notes:

What is Point of View?
The term “point of view” has many applications, from video game development to the interpretation of art. This page will discuss point of view as it pertains to the study of reading and literature. When studying the perspective of the narrator, the reader is concerned with the relationship between the person telling the story (the narrator) and the agents referred to by the story teller (the characters).

Modes of Narration
There are ** six key terms used in the study of narrative view point:** // first-person, second-person, third-person, third-person objective, third-person limited, and third-person omniscient. // Each term refers to a specific mode of narration defined by two things: the distance of the narrator from the story (the pronoun case) and how much the narrator reveals about the thoughts and feelings of the characters (narrative access). Let’s take a closer look at each term.

**First-Person Narration**
In this mode, the narrator is usually the __protagonist__ or central character in the story. But even if this character is not the protagonist, he or she is __directly involved in the events of the story__ and is telling the tale “first hand.” First-person narration is easy to identify, because the narrator will be telling the story from “I’s” perspective. Readers should watch for the narrator’s use of __first-person pronouns- “I, me, my, our, us, we, myself, and ourselves,”__ as these will usually indicate that the passage is narrated from first-person perspective. Remember, with this skill readers are trying to identify the perspective of the narrator; therefore, **one must ignore the dialogue of characters** (indicated by “quotation marks”) **and solely focus on narration, otherwise one is not analyzing the narrator’s point of view.**

**Second-Person Narration**
In this mode narration __“you”__ are the agent, such as in this example: //you walked down the stairs//. As it is generally awkward for a story to be narrated from “your” perspective, this mode of narration is __not used very often__ in narratives and stories. There are some exceptions, however, and second-person perspective is the primary mode of narration for choose your own adventure books and similarly styled writings. More frequently, ** directions and instructions and usually narrated from second-person perspective **. In most cases, directions will be written in short imperative sentences, where the implied subject is “you.” But even when “you” is not explicitly stated, it is understood that “you” are the subject of directions and instructions.

**Third-Person Narration**
With this mode of narration, __the narrator tells the story of another person or group of people__. The narrator may be __ far removed from or not involved in the story __, or he or she may be a supporting character supplying narration for a hero. Frequent __use of “he, she, them, they, him, her, his, her, and their”__ by the narrator may indicate that a passage is narrated from third-person perspective. ** There are three distinct modes of third-person narration: objective, limited, and omniscient .** Which mode the narrator is using is determined by a single variable- how much the narrator accesses the thoughts, feelings, and internal workings of the characters and shares them with the reader through narration. __Characters’ feelings and motivations can be inferred and understood through their behavior__ and dialogue in each of the three modes of third-person narration; however, in determining which mode the narrator is operating, readers should be concerned with finding instances where the narrator **explicitly** reveals a character’s thoughts or feelings.

**Third-Person Objective Narration**
In this mode of narration, __the narrator tells a third-person’s story (he, she, him, her), but the narrator only describes characters’ behavior and dialogue.__ **The narrator does not reveal any character’s thoughts or feelings.** Again, readers will be able to understand characters’ thoughts and motivations based on characters’ actions and dialogue, which are narrated; however, the __narrator will not explicitly reveal character’s thoughts and/or motivations in narration__.

**Third-Person Limited:**
When a narrator uses third-person limited perspective, the __narrator’s perspective is //limited// to the internal workings of one character__. In other words, **the narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of one character through explicit narration.** As with objective narration, readers may be able to infer characters’ thoughts and feelings based on the behaviors and dialogue of those characters, which are narrated, but the narrator also directly reveals the central character’s internal perspective.

**Third-Person Omniscient:**
In this mode of narration, the __narrator grants readers the most access to characters’ thoughts and feelings__. With third-person omniscient narration, **the narration will reveal more than one characters’ internal workings.** The __base word //omni// means “all,” and //scient// means “knowing,”__ so omniscient roughly translates to __“all knowing.”__ In this case the etymology is accurate, because in omniscient narration, **the narrator is all knowing.**

Pov Narrators Perspective Mode Of Narration

Main Points:

Important Vocabulary/Terms:

Summary:

1. Folktales are fictional stories passed down from generation to generation that teaches people about different cultures, folk, and traditions. These stories often share a moral or lesson.

2. Myths are fictional stories that involve gods, goddesses, and heroes that explain natural disasters and other such phenomenons in life.

3. Legends are stories passed down by word of mouth that are based on specific and famous folk characters, people, and/or places.

4. Tall Tales are stories passed down originally by word of mouth that are highly exaggerated and meant to entertain.

Note:
 * All four text types are considered to be fiction.
 * All four contain exposition, conflict, and resoultion. (plot)
 * All contain characters and setting that is siginifcant to the plot.
 * All meant to entertain.
 * All passed down form generation to generation.
 * Myth- characters are different than other fictional characters and may contain magical elements.
 * Folktales teach lessons and the characters can involve both animals and people.
 * Although all are considered to be fiction, myths are meant to explain how things came to be and legends can contain (or be based) on some truths.


 * __IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN READING FOLKTALES__**
 * 1) **WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY AND HOW ARE THEY SIGNIFICANT TO THE STORY? (WHAT SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS DO THEY HAVE? ARE THEY FROM A CERTAIN AREA OR PLACE?)**
 * 2) **WHAT IS THE SETTING (WHEN & WHERE) AND HOW DOES IT EFFECT THE STORY?**
 * 3) **HOW DO YOU KNOW THE SETTING? (WAS CLUES GIVEN IN DIALECT, DESCRIBED IN CLOTHING, ARCHITECTURE, OR TRADITIONS ETC.)**
 * 4) **WHAT IS THE CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION OF THE STORY?**
 * 5) **HOW IS THE RESOLUTION IMPORTANT OR SIGNIFICANT TO THE PURPOSE OF THE STORY?**
 * 6) **WHAT WAS THE AUTHOR TRYING TO SAY? (WAS THERE A LESSON OR MORAL OF THE STORY? IF SO, WHAT?)**
 * 7) **WHO IS THE SPEAKER AND HOW DOES HE FEEL ABOUT WHAT HAS UNFOLDED IN THE STORY? (IS HE BIAS, FOR OR AGAINST, POV)**