Point of View in “Romeo and Juliet” and “West Side Story”

You are a book critic who works for a publishing company. You are assigned by your publishing
director to read excerpts from two similar works. Shakespeare's poem, “Romeo and Juliet” and
the play “West Side Story” by Irving Shulman. Write a book review that states which point of
view is presented in both texts, (First, second, or third person) and address the similarities and
differences between the points of view in each work. The review must be creative and must
include at least two lines of evidence from each work that show which point of view is presented.

Goal: Your task is to understand and recognize author's point of view in a text

Role: You are a book critique

Audience: Your target audience is your readers and publishing director

Situation: The challenge involves reading excerpts from two similar works and determining what
point of view the author chose in each adaptation

Product/ Performance and Purpose: You will create a book review in order to determine which
point of view was used in the two works (first, second, third person)

Standards and Criteria for Success:

A successful result will include addressing the point of view presented in both literary works,
and the similarities and differences in the point of views between the two.

Check +
 Point of view from both works are addressed
 Similarities from the points of view in both works are presented
 Differences from the points of view in both works are presented
Check
 Point of view from both works are addressed
 There are only similarities shown between the points of view in both works
 Or there are only differences shown between the points of view in both works
Check –
 There is none or only one point of view from he work addressed
 There are only similarities shown between the points of view
 Or there are only differences shown between the points of view