Student Question
Define first-person, third-person omniscient, and third-person objective points of view.
Quick answer:
First-person perspective involves a narrator participating in the story, using "I," and can be subjective (present-tense) or objective (past-tense). Third-person omniscient narrators are non-participants who know all characters' thoughts and feelings. Third-person limited omniscient narrators also do not participate but know only one character's internal states. Third-person objective narrators report visible actions without access to any character's thoughts or feelings.
There are two types of first-person perspective: 1) first-person subjective: this is when the narrator is a participant in the story (usually they will use the first-person pronoun "I") and they narrate while the story is taking place (usually they will use present-tense verbs); 2) first-person objective: this narrator is also a participant in the story but they narrate after the events have taken place (usually using past-tense verbs).
There are three types of third-person perspective: 1) third-person omniscient: this is when the narrator is not a participant in the story but knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters; 2) third-person limited omniscient: this narrator is also not a participant in the story but knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character; 3) third-person objective: this non-participant narrator can only report what is visible and cannot report the thoughts and feelings of any character.
This story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," is written from the perspective of a third-person limited omniscient narrator. The narrator is not a participant in the events of the story and they know the thoughts and feelings of Peyton Farquhar (but no one else).
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