Page 2 Points of View
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Page 2 Points of View
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Objective Narrator
The narrator tells only what he or she sees and hears. Much like a video recording action and sound, he or she cannot enter a character's mind. Myths, legends, and fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk generally are told using an objective point of view.
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Omniscient Narrator
The narrator's knowledge is unlimited. (The narrator is all-knowing).
The story is told using third person pronouns such as he, she, they, them. This would be told as if the narrator was looking from above.
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Someone outside the story knows the thoughts and feelings of one character, but has little knowledge of other characters' thoughts and feelings. The story is told using third person pronouns. Essentially, the narrator is still looking from above but is only focusing on one character.
Limited Omniscient Narrator
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First Person Narrator
The narrator is one of the characters who tells the story using first person pronouns such as I, me, and my.Click on the four tabs below, to read Jack and the Beanstalk from four different points of view.
Jack and the Beanstalk is retold from an objective perspective below.
Once upon a time there was a boy called Jack who lived with his mother. One morning, his mother told him to sell the cow. On the way to the market, Jack traded the cow for some magic beans.
When Jack's mother saw the beans, she threw them out the window.
The next morning, Jack noticed a giant beanstalk reaching the clouds which he climbed. At the top, he entered a giant's castle.
"Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!" Jack ran into a cupboard. He saw the giant put a hen and a golden harp on the table.
"Lay!" said the giant. The hen laid a golden egg.
"Sing!" said the giant. The harp began to sing. The giant fell asleep.
Jack leaped out of the cupboard and took the hen and harp. The harp sang, "Help, master!"
The giant woke up and chased Jack shouting, "Fee, Fi, Fo Fum!" Jack climbed down the beanstalk and chopped it down. The giant, still chasing him, crashed to the earth, dead. Jack and his mother lived in wealth.
Once upon a time there was a boy called Jack who lived with his mother. One morning, his mother told him to sell the cow. On the way to the market, Jack traded the cow for some magic beans.
When Jack's mother saw the beans, she threw them out the window.
The next morning, Jack noticed a giant beanstalk reaching the clouds which he climbed. At the top, he entered a giant's castle.
"Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!" Jack ran into a cupboard. He saw the giant put a hen and a golden harp on the table.
"Lay!" said the giant. The hen laid a golden egg.
"Sing!" said the giant. The harp began to sing. The giant fell asleep.
Jack leaped out of the cupboard and took the hen and harp. The harp sang, "Help, master!"
The giant woke up and chased Jack shouting, "Fee, Fi, Fo Fum!" Jack climbed down the beanstalk and chopped it down. The giant, still chasing him, crashed to the earth, dead. Jack and his mother lived in wealth.
When a narrator knows everything characters can seem like puppets.
If the same event is retold from an omniscient perspective, Jack and the Beanstalk might read this way:
"It's time to sell Milky-White," Martha's voice wavered tremulously.
It was difficult to put food on the table, but looking at her son's tragic face broke her heart. She knew how hard Jack was working to make ends meet on the farm. No matter how hard they worked, it was never enough. Times were tough throughout the valley. The cow was no longer producing milk and needed to be sold.
Jack, an obedient son, pulled on his threadbare coat and led Milky-White toward town, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He kicked at the dirt clods and wondered what they were they to eat now.
"It's time to sell Milky-White," Martha's voice wavered tremulously.
It was difficult to put food on the table, but looking at her son's tragic face broke her heart. She knew how hard Jack was working to make ends meet on the farm. No matter how hard they worked, it was never enough. Times were tough throughout the valley. The cow was no longer producing milk and needed to be sold.
Jack, an obedient son, pulled on his threadbare coat and led Milky-White toward town, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He kicked at the dirt clods and wondered what they were they to eat now.
Jack and the Beanstalk is retold from a limited omniscient point of view below.
Jack lived unhappily with his greedy mother. She was always selling things out from under him. He could hardly maintain the farm because she sold his tractor to fund her parties. He wasn't surprised one morning when his mother decided it was time to sell Milky-white, his prize milk cow. because she wanted new clothing. On the way to the market, Jack reflected on how hard it was to be poor. What source of income would he have now that the milk cow was gone? Jack could hardly believe his good fortune when he met a farm salesman who offered to trade him some beans for his cow. Beans would turn a good profit.
His happiness did not last long however, because when he returned home, his mother's face contorted in anger. "Jack, how could you be so foolish!" she shrieked and threw the beans out the window....
Jack lived unhappily with his greedy mother. She was always selling things out from under him. He could hardly maintain the farm because she sold his tractor to fund her parties. He wasn't surprised one morning when his mother decided it was time to sell Milky-white, his prize milk cow. because she wanted new clothing. On the way to the market, Jack reflected on how hard it was to be poor. What source of income would he have now that the milk cow was gone? Jack could hardly believe his good fortune when he met a farm salesman who offered to trade him some beans for his cow. Beans would turn a good profit.
His happiness did not last long however, because when he returned home, his mother's face contorted in anger. "Jack, how could you be so foolish!" she shrieked and threw the beans out the window....
Consider the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk told from a first person point of view.
I was minding my own business in a castle that I worked hard to build. One day, I came home from work and all at once noticed a half-eaten apple lying on the floor. I looked around and noticed some items on my table had been moved. Prickles of fear crawled up and down my back. Someone had violated my privacy.
Oh, I should introduce myself. I am a very friendly tall person. I don't like the word giant, because it really doesn't encompass who I am; for example, I am terrified of spiders.
As I was saying, I was petrified when I realized someone had been spying on my things. I yelled, "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum." But I began to calm down when I noticed my pet hen, Petunia, was still roosting happily on my chair.
"Lay," I called. She laid a beautiful golden egg for dinner. After I had dinner, I remembered my friend Georgette, an heirloom handed down to me by my mother. "Play," I requested Georgette, the golden harp, and I fell asleep listening to her beautiful notes.
I woke up to hear Georgette screaming in terror, "help, master!" she called. I tried to rescue her by chasing the tiny boy that held her. "Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum," I called. Really, it was just a threat. I didn't have a weapon in the house and I just wanted Georgette back.
I noticed the thief climbing down a beanstalk and I chased after him. All at once I felt myself crashing to the ground. That is how I ended up with this broken leg. Fortunately, the scoundrel is in jail for break and enter.
I was minding my own business in a castle that I worked hard to build. One day, I came home from work and all at once noticed a half-eaten apple lying on the floor. I looked around and noticed some items on my table had been moved. Prickles of fear crawled up and down my back. Someone had violated my privacy.
Oh, I should introduce myself. I am a very friendly tall person. I don't like the word giant, because it really doesn't encompass who I am; for example, I am terrified of spiders.
As I was saying, I was petrified when I realized someone had been spying on my things. I yelled, "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum." But I began to calm down when I noticed my pet hen, Petunia, was still roosting happily on my chair.
"Lay," I called. She laid a beautiful golden egg for dinner. After I had dinner, I remembered my friend Georgette, an heirloom handed down to me by my mother. "Play," I requested Georgette, the golden harp, and I fell asleep listening to her beautiful notes.
I woke up to hear Georgette screaming in terror, "help, master!" she called. I tried to rescue her by chasing the tiny boy that held her. "Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum," I called. Really, it was just a threat. I didn't have a weapon in the house and I just wanted Georgette back.
I noticed the thief climbing down a beanstalk and I chased after him. All at once I felt myself crashing to the ground. That is how I ended up with this broken leg. Fortunately, the scoundrel is in jail for break and enter.
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Self-Assessment
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