Student Question
What is the point of view in "The Octopus"?
Quick answer:
The point of view in "The Octopus" is third person omniscient. This narrative style allows the narrator to provide a god-like perspective, offering insights into the thoughts and motivations of multiple characters. An example of this is how the narrator describes the relationship between Presley and Vanamee, providing details about both characters' experiences and emotions, which indicates an omniscient rather than a limited perspective.
Let us remember that when we think of point of view, there are three main types that are used in literature. The most easy to identify is the first person, which is where the author assumes the persona of one of the characters in the text and writes as "I" in the first person. Secondly, we have the omniscient narrator, which is written in the third person and where the narrator has a god-like knowledge of all the characters and their various feelings and motivations. Lastly, there is the third person limited, where the narrator is still writing in the third person as somebody who is exterior to the story, but they follow the story from the point of view of one character alone.
Have a look at the following quote and see if you can work out which point of view is used in this story:
It was six years since Presley and Vanamee had met, and then it had been for a short time only, during one of the shepherd's periodical brief returns to that part of the country. During a week he and Presley had been much together, for the two were devoted friends. Then, as abruptly and mysteriously as he had come, Vanamee disappeared.
This quote shows that this novel is written in the third person omniscient, because, although the narrative begins by focusing on Presley alone, we can see that the narrator gives us information about other characters such as this shepherd, meaning that this is an omniscient narration rather than limited.
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