Point of View, Character, and Theme By the due date assigned, post your response of at least 150-200 words to the Discussion Area. By the end of the week, comment on at least two of your classmates’ submissions. IMPORTANT NOTE: Your instructor will assign 3-5 short stories for the class to read and discuss this week. Check the Week 4 Announcement for a list of the assigned stories. You must choose one of these stories to earn credit on the assignment. Prompt: Select one of the stories assigned by your instructor, and develop a response to the following:
- Identify the point of view used in the narration of the story.
- Provide a specific example from the story to illustrate your argument.
- Discuss how this perspective affects your reading and interpretation of the story.
- Consider how a different type of narration might alter the effect of the story.
- First person: In first person, the story is told from the perspective of the narrator, using first-person pronouns. (“We are driving off the bridge!” I screamed.)
- Second person: This is not commonly used. In second person, the narrator addresses the reader as “you,” which gives the audience the feeling that they are a part of the story. (Example: As you drive off the bridge, you scream, but no one hears you.)
- Third person: The story is told using third-person pronouns (“The car is driving off the bridge!” he shouted), and the narrator is either godlike in the ability to see and know everything (third-person omniscient) or not all-knowing with knowledge limited to the perspective of only one character (third-person limited).