Types of Point of View

This past week I ended up chatting with some family members about point of view. Even though they are avid readers, they realized that they really couldn’t tell the difference between the types of point of view or how to recognize which one they were reading. So, I thought I should clear up the terminology for those new or experienced readers who are unsure exactly what the different kinds of point of view are or how to tell which one they are reading.

First Person

First person point of view is the easiest to recognize. It is a book written from the perspective of the main character. You will know it is written in first person if the narrator uses terms like I and we. When you read, you will be extremely close to that main character and the feel of the novel is often much more casual. The thoughts are seamlessly intermixed in the narration without any extra indication that they are thoughts. 

Example

I stopped halfway over the bridge to look down at the water below. The sun shone so bright it made the water sparkle. I wanted to go swimming, so badly. The hot summer sun was baking into my back, and I wouldn’t be surprised, at all, if I was sunburned when I got home. If only I had money to buy a car. Then, I wouldn’t need to walk in the blazing heat or worry about dying of heat stroke.

Just as I was about to turn away, a man broke through the surface of the water. He held something in his hand that I couldn’t quite make out, but his grip was closed tight around it as he swam towards the shore. The water was obviously deeper than it looked. I contemplated jumping in, but then decided I wasn’t actually insane enough for that. At least not yet.

Series written in first person: Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares, Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress, and Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom

Third Person

Third person has two different types, limited and omniscient. Both types have a narrator that is not a character in the story. Instead, the story is told by a separate person and uses terms like he, she, or they even when talking about the main character(s).

Limited

Third person limited is just like it sounds. The narration is limited to one or a few main characters, and the narrator is limited in knowing only about the main character(s) role, thoughts, feelings, and motivations. It is as if the narrator is following around the main character(s) and only follows one of the characters at a time. If there is more than one main character, the switch between characters will be obvious, and the reader will clearly know which one is being followed. As a reader, you will never be told any thoughts or feelings of the supporting characters. This point of view is still fairly close to the main character(s), and the narrator can either blend the characters thoughts and feelings into the narration or indicate thoughts as separate depending on the author.

Example 1

She stopped halfway over the bridge to look down at the water below. The sun shone so bright it made the water sparkle. All she wanted to do right then was to go swimming. The hot summer sun was baking into her back, and she wouldn’t be surprised, at all, if she was sunburned when she got home. If only she had money to buy a car. Then, she wouldn’t need to walk in the blazing heat or worry about dying of heat stroke.

She started to turn away when a man broke through the surface of the water. He held something in his hand that she couldn’t quite make out, but his grip was closed tight around it as he swam towards the shore. The water was obviously deeper than it looked. For a moment, she contemplated jumping in, but then decided she wasn’t actually insane enough for that. At least not yet.

Example 2

She stopped halfway over the bridge to look down at the water below. The sun shone so bright it made the water sparkle. All she wanted to do right then was to go swimming. The hot summer sun was baking into her back, and she wouldn’t be surprised, at all, if she was sunburned when she got home. If only I had money to buy a car, she thought. Then, I wouldn’t need to walk in the blazing heat or worry about dying of heat stroke.

She started to turn away when a man broke through the surface of the water. He held something in his hand that she couldn’t quite make out, but his grip was closed tight around it as he swam towards the shore. The water was obviously deeper than it looked. For a moment, she paused and contemplated jumping in. No, she decided. I’m not that insane, yet.

Series written in third person limited: Eileen Wilks’s World of the Lupi, Patricia Briggs’s Alpha & Omega, Elizabeth Hunter’s Elemental Mysteries, and Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth

Omniscient

Third person omniscient is a narration that is much further from the characters. The narrator knows everything about the world and every character in the story. This means that all characters thoughts, feelings, or motivations, regardless of what role they play in the story, might be told to the reader. This point of view also allows a large group of characters to be considered main characters, and the narrator can talk of events or people the main characters don’t know about. It is also possible for the narrator to comment on things that happen in the past, future, or currently happening in another area.

Example:

She stopped halfway over the bridge to look down at the water below. The sun shone so bright it made the water sparkle. All she wanted to do right then was to go swimming. The hot summer sun was baking into her back, and even though she didn’t know it yet, she would discover she was completely sunburnt by the time she got home. If only I had money to buy a car, she thought. Then, I wouldn’t need to walk in the blazing heat or worry about dying of heat stroke. She started to turn away when a man broke through the surface of the water. He held something in his hand that she couldn’t quite make out, but his grip was closed tight around it as he swam towards the shore.

He pulled himself out of the water and looked at the item in his hand. He had been terrified he’d lost his wedding ring in the water, but he’d been lucky and found it among the rocks at the bottom of the river. The care he gave anything to do with his wife was one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him. He would never have forgiven himself if the water had washed it away. I’ll get it resized tomorrow, he decided, and slipped it back on his finger. He forced his wet feet into his shoes and headed home.

Series written in third person omniscient: Terry Brook’s Sword of Shannara, David Eddings’s The Belgariad, and George R.R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire

Second Person

Second person point of view is very uncommon and seldom used. It is a style that makes the reader the main character of the story. The narrator tells you what you did, what you think, and what you feel about the events taking place. The narration is told using the term you. I’ve heard that this point of view is very unique and can be hard for readers to enjoy.

Example

You stopped halfway over the bridge to look down at the water below. The sun shone so bright it made the water sparkle. All you wanted to do, right then, was to go swimming. The hot summer sun was baking into your back, and you thought you might even be getting a sunburn. If only you had money to buy a car. Then, you wouldn’t need to walk in the blazing heat or worry about dying of heat stroke.

You started to turn away from the water when a man broke through the surface. He held something in his hand that you couldn’t quite make out, but his grip was closed tight around it as he swam towards the shore. The water was obviously deeper than it looked. For a moment, you contemplated jumping in, but then decided you weren’t actually that insane. At least not yet.

Unfortunately, I haven’t read any series written in second person point of view.

I hope this helped you understand and recognize the differences between the types of points of view. If you have any questions or if you feel the examples I provided are not enough to understand, please let me know in the comments, and I’d be happy to talk with you about it in more depth.