4 Point of View

Distinguishing point of view, perspective, and purpose

These related ideas answer different questions. Point of view asks who tells or presents the events. Perspective asks how the person presenting them understands or feels about them. Author’s purpose asks why the author created the text.

Recognizing who tells a story

In a first-person story, a character tells the story using “I” or “we.” In a third-person story, an outside narrator tells it using “he,” “she,” or “they.” A narrator may know one character’s thoughts or reveal what several characters think.

The narrator is not automatically the author. An author may invent a narrator whose opinions differ from the author’s own. Likewise, identifying a first-person narrator does not by itself explain the author’s purpose: a first-person account could inform readers, persuade them, or entertain them.

How perspective shapes a text

Perspective influences which details a text includes, emphasizes, or leaves out, as well as the language and tone used to describe events. For example, a student who enjoys a field trip might call it “an exciting adventure,” while a tired student might focus on the long walk and crowded bus. The event is the same, but each account guides readers toward a different impression.

Different positions can also highlight different concerns. If a school is considering a longer lunch period, a student might emphasize time to eat and talk with friends, a teacher might focus on how the schedule affects lessons, and a cafeteria worker might describe the pressure of serving everyone on time. Each perspective may include accurate details while drawing attention to different concerns. Comparing accounts can reveal what each speaker values and what information readers may still need.

Comparing claims and viewpoints

In informational texts, compare the author’s claims, evidence, word choices, and treatment of other positions. Do not assume that a strongly expressed perspective makes every claim false or true. Analyze how an author’s purpose and perspective shape the presentation, and how a narrator’s point of view influences the description of events.

Keep interpretations grounded in evidence. Rather than simply saying, “The narrator is biased,” explain which language or omissions suggest an attitude and how that affects the reader’s understanding.

A practical analysis

Use these questions to analyze a text:

1. Who is speaking or narrating? Look for pronouns, narration, and clues about what the speaker knows.

2. What does the speaker seem to believe or feel? Support the inference with words, details, or claims from the text.

3. What is the author trying to accomplish? Consider the text’s audience, evidence, and overall message.

4. How does this viewpoint shape the text? Notice which details are emphasized, how people or events are described, and which viewpoints are absent or treated differently.

Point of view concerns the vantage point from which a text is told or presented; perspective is the viewpoint or attitude expressed; and purpose is the author’s reason for creating the text. To explain a viewpoint’s effect, identify the speaker, infer the speaker’s position from evidence, and describe how that position shapes the text.