October 26 2009

natant • \NAY-tunt\ • adjective : swimming or floating in water Did you know... In ancient Egypt, the apricot was called the "egg of the sun.

A temperature of 70 million degrees Celsius was generated at Princeton University in 1978. This was during a fusionism experiment and is the highest man-made temperature ever. 1881 - Wyatt Earp, his two brothers, and Doc Holliday were involved in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.

National Mule Day (The first mules in America arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1785. They were a gift from King Charles III of Spain.)

October 26th 2009 TODAY IS NOT A COLOR DAY!!!!! DON”T ASK. IF YOU ASK, YOU WILL HAVE TO WRITE ME AN ESSAY ON WHY READING DIRECTIONS IS IMPORTANT

POINT OF VIEW What is a point of view? 

Why do we all have different Points of View? Wouldn’t life be easier if we all saw things the same way?

 Why do you think authors choose

different ways to tell a story?

NOTES ON POV COPY THE NOTES ONTO THE SHEET

POINT OF VIEW "Truth is a hard deer to hunt," states John, the son of a priest, in By the Waters of Babylon. What is true for one man, may not be true for another. Our perspective on life is influenced by many factors such as age, experience, culture, and time. What is true for you today, may not be so tomorrow. To examine how point of view affects the development of the short story, we must examine who’s point of view the story is told.

POV Notes 1st PERSON 3rd PERSON 3rd Person Objective Limited Who’s telling the story? Who does the narrator know about? What does the narrator know?? Is the narrator trustworthy? Biased? Your Thoughts

3rd Person Omniscient

 The narrator only knows about him/herself,

his/her friends, his/her own feelings, and actions.  The narrator tells things from his/her own

perspective. He/she is biased and might be untrustworthy.  "When someone asks me what business I

am in, I am seized with embarrassment: I blush and stammer, I who am otherwise known as a man of poise." from The Laugher by Heinrich Boll.

POV – 1st person

First Person: The story is told from the view of "I.” Narrator is also a character in the story

Third Person Objective - Narrator is watching the story—can only see the action, not internal feelings. “Fly On the Wall”



The narrator knows about everyone, but does not know about internal thoughts/feelings—only what’s on the surface

 This narrator is always unbiased! (that’s what objective means)

this narrator will often let you make up your own mind about things.  NEUTRAL The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station. Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees. 'And we could have all this,' she said. 'And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible.' 'What did you say?' 'I said we could have everything.' 'No, we can't.' 'We can have the whole world.' 'No, we can't.' 'We can go everywhere.' 'No, we can't. It isn't ours any more.' 'It's ours.' 'No, it isn't. And once they take it away, you never get it back.'

3rd Person Objective



as thought they are watching everything “god” narrator.  The all knowing narrator knows everyone and

everything.  This narrator is sometimes biased. This narrator

knows what every character thinks/feels, and he/she may or may not present the info. fairly  BOTH

Mrs. Gage almost fell into the fire with joy. She had not seen her brother for many years, and, as he did not even acknowledge the Christmas card which she sent him every year, she thought that his miserly habits, well known to her from

POV – 3rd Omnicient

 Omniscient: Narrator (author) tells us the story

Third Person Limited: Narrator who is watching the story, may or may not be “involved” in the story. The story tells what "he", "she," or "it" does.



The narrator only knows some of the people, some of the things.

 The narrator does not have all of the facts about everything;

narrator cannot present things totally objectively.  BIASED

 "Barry cradled his father's head in the crook of his left

arm, so that the man could tilt back his head, exposing the throat. He brushed fresh lather under the chin and into the hollows alongside the stretched tendons. His father's throat was fleshless and vulnerable, his head was a hard weight on the boy's arm. Barry was filled with unreasoning protective love. He lifted the razor and began to shave." from Shaving by Leslie Norris

POV – 3rd Limited



First person: (includes the thoughts and perspective of one main character, who's telling his/her own story)

As I walked up the hill, I realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who was nearly always singing from the top of the maple tree. I thought I saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when I looked again it was gone. Still, I shuddered as I felt a silent threat pass over me like a cloud over the sun.

Jennifer stirred in bed. The thin white cotton sheet clung intimately to her body as she rolled to face the nightstand. With eyes half open, she reached over to switch the alarm clock off when the man in the shadows reached out and grabbed her arm. Her scream pierced the quiet night and died abruptly as she was forced violently back into the dark oblivion.

Third Person Objective -Notice that there aren’t any references to “she thought” or “she was thinking”.

Third person limited: (includes the thoughts and perspective of one main character)

As she walked up the hill, she realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who she so often heard singing from the top of the maple tree. She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone. Nevertheless, she shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.

 Third person omniscient: (all-knowing; can include thoughts and perspective ofshe allrealized characters) As the girl walked up the hill, that the atmosphere was just too quiet.             The cardinal tipped his head back and drew breath to sing, but just as the first note passed his beak he heard the crack of a dead branch far below his perch high in the maple tree. Startled, he looked down, cocking his head to one side and watching with great interest while the man rattled the blades of grass as he tried to hide himself behind the tree.             As the man saw her start up the hill, he moved quickly into the shelter of the huge old maple tree. If she saw him now, everything would be ruined.             She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone.             The man thought if he could stay hidden until she came within range, she'd have to talk to him. Wouldn't she?             The girl shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.

STATE STANDARD  Explain how voice and the choice of narrator

affect characterization and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text.

 You will be able to identify the type of narration

and explain how this choice impacts the stories meaning, plot, and it’s credibility.

The Three Little Pigs 

What do we learn about from story?

 How does the narrator view the characters?  How does the narrator view the pigs?  How does the narrator view the wolf?

How would this story be different if it were told from a different perspective? Would it make a difference if this narrator was one of the characters in the story? Does the narrator’s species make a difference?

POV  THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

 What do we learn from this perspective?  How does the narrator see view the other

characters?  How does the narrator see him/herself?  What do we learn from the description of the events?

What details would change? How would the story be different? How would it impact the mood of the story? How would it impact the credibility?

Vantage Point… on a scratch sheet of paper

In your war book, explain how the story of the “Cask of Amontillado” or “The Stone Boy” would be different if it were told from the perspective of a character within the story.