Name:________________________________ Date:_______________
College: ______________________________
Unit 2: 3rd Person Point of View
Standard: 9.LT-F.5. Contrast points of view (e.g., first vs. third, limited vs. omniscient, subjective vs. objective) in a story or poem.
Objectives: You will be able to describe and identify 3rd person limited and 3rd person omniscient narration in a text. You will be able to define the word omniscient.
Sparker!
Directions: Read the following passages and determine if they are being told in 1
stor 2
ndperson narration. Then, re-write it in the other narration. (If it’s 1
st, re-write it in 2
nd…)
1. I walked down the alley. I picked up the phone and I told Tony that he was going down if he didn't cough up the money by Saturday. POV? _________________
Re-write:
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2. You love school. You love it so much, you can’t wait until you get to school in the morning. It’s so hard for you to decide what you’re favorite class is, because you love them all so much! POV?_____________________
Re-write:
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3. What is a pronoun?
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New Information—Class Notes:
3rd Person Point of View
• Third person point of view is told by a narrator who does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.
• Pronouns used: he, she, it, they, etc.
3rd Person Omniscient
• Omniscient means all knowing or god-like.
• We CAN see inside all of the character’s heads.
• We know what ALL characters think.
• Example: Mark met Madeline on New Year's Eve in 2008. He attended a party and she opened the door. He thought about how long and beautiful her hair was, and she told herself that they were meant to be together.
3rd Person Limited
• When something is limited, it is restricted.
• We are limited to seeing the thoughts and feelings of only one character.
• We do NOT know what ALL characters think.
Example: Jerome was very proud of himself for getting up in front of the sold-out theater and delivering his stand-up routine. He figured it went pretty well. He thought his jokes were funny, and Jenny was smiling at him from her seat.
3
rdPerson Point of View: Limited and Omniscient
Guided Practice
Directions: As we look at the following 2 pictures, we’ll determine if they represent 3rd person limited or 3rd person omniscient and how we know.
Picture #1
She’s so into me!
Limited or Omniscient? How do you know?
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Limited or Omniscient? How do you know?
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Picture #2
Independent Practice
Directions: As you read the following 2
passages, determine if they are in 3rd person limited or omniscient. Be prepared to explain how you know. Check the footnotes for unknown words!
Passage #1
She noticed them immediately. Old habits died hard, and her eyes tracked the movement on the road even before her mind registered approaching danger — five men striding with the swagger of warriors. The only outward sign of her alarm was the tightening of her grip on the knife as she stripped a dead twig from the branch of the olive tree. There was no point in running. The men had seen her, and if she was their target they would catch her sooner or later. Sooner, she thought ruefully, remembering that her legs were not so limber 1as they once had been.
1
FlexibleDrawing a deep breath, she spoke as calmly as she could. "Lyceus, I want you to take those olives to your mother, now."
The young boy at her side looked down at the basket he carried and hefted its weight. He could tell it was more than half empty. "But Aunt Gabrielle, we've barely begun."
"It's enough," she said, more curtly 2than she had intended. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the warriors step off the road and enter the far edge of the orchard3. Softening her tone of voice, she spoke again, "I'm too tired to do any more work today. Run along now, before I change my mind."
With a grin of delight, Lyceus turned to dash away, then froze. "Auntie...those men..." He was young, but no fool, and his instincts were sharp, if less experienced than hers.
"Lyceus," she commanded softly. "Do as I say. Don't look back at them. Run."
Passage #1 Questions:
1. Whose thoughts and feelings do we know? Provide examples.
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2. Is this 3rd person limited or omniscient? Explain how you know.
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Passage #2
Xena drove the head of the shovel deep into the loose dirt, then heaved the load up and over, dropping it into the pit by her feet. She steeled herself for the soft thudding sounds the dirt and clumps of grass made when they fell on the bodies below. Another stab with the shovel and she could feel sweat break out on her brow. That was a bad sign. The morning air was cool and she hadn't been digging that long.
"I wish you'd let me help," came a voice from over her shoulder.
"Gabrielle, I told you to stay back." She couldn't spare enough breath to adequately convey her anger. Another bad sign. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, then went back to her task. The next load of dirt seemed a lot heavier than the others.
Time passed, marked only by the steady rise and fall of her shovel.
"Xena..." Gabrielle's voice sounded closer than it had before. "It's got to be safe for me by now. These are the last of the dead and they're nearly buried."
2 Quickly, rudely
3 Place where fruit is grown