Week 2

INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
 Review
1.What is literature?
2.What are the forms and types of literature?
3.What are the three main genres of literature?
4.Name some types of writing belonging to each genre. .
 …
Mang tiền về cho mẹ (mẹ ơi) Second person
Mang tiền về cho mẹ (mẹ à)
Mang tiền về cho mẹ
Đừng mang ưu phiền về cho mẹ
Q`
Người hâm mộ đợi con từ Đồng Khởi First person
Xếp hàng dài đến hết đường Ký Con
Xin chữ ký con
Con rất quý họ và cũng hy vọng là họ Third person
đều quý con
…

Which pronoun case is used in your translation?

 Lesson 2

Point of View
(Narrative Perspective)
 Point of view

• The point of view in a work of literature is determined

by the narrator, that is, the person telling the story.

• This narrator may be the author or a character in the

story, book, play, or poem.
 Dialogue and Narration

• Dialogue = when characters speak.

• Narration = when the narrator speaks.
• “Quotation marks” separate narration
from dialogue.

Example
“Help!” my cousin Jack screamed.
1 2
 Point of View: Identifying narrative perspective

It's about the narrator (who tells the story).

 We're not looking at dialogue.
 We don't care what characters say.

 Only the narrator's voice matters.

 Pronoun case
The narrator's point of view on the story is identified by
the pronoun case.
Perspectives and signal words

First person I, me, my, mine, we, us, ours,

Second person you, your, yours

Third person it, he, she, her, they, them

(also character's names)
 First person

If the narrator(s) is a/some character(s) in the story,

this is first person point of view.
• How to identify: Use of the pronoun “I” or “we” by the
narrator(s).
 First person - example

"Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty. When Jem

and I asked him why he was so old, he said he got
started late, which we felt reflected upon his
abilities and manliness. He was much older than
the parents of our school contemporaries, and
there was nothing Jem or I could say about him
when our classmates said, ‘My father — ’
(From: To Kill a Mocking Bird)
This point of view provides a sense of intimacy or a rapport – readers feel as if the author is
confiding in them or sharing the story directly with them.
 Second person

• If the story has the narrator speaking to the reader, this

is second-person point of view.
• The words "you," "your," and "yours" are used in this point
of view.
• Some common uses for second-person point of view are
epistolary novels, directives, business writing, technical
writing, song lyrics, speeches, and advertising.
• Although the second person is a less common choice for
fiction writing, when done well, it can give a story a unique
and powerful perspective.
 Second Person - Example

This point of view provides a sense of voyeurism —  readers feel as if they could
mirror or peering into the lives of others
 Second Person - Example

My fellow Americans — (applause) — Michelle and I have been so touched

by all the well wishes that we've received over the past few weeks. But
tonight, it's my turn to say thanks. (Applause.) Whether we have seen eye-to-
eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people,
in living rooms and in schools, at farms, on factory floors, at diners and on
distant military outposts — those conversations are what have kept me
honest, and kept me inspired, and kept me going. And every day, I have
learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better
man. (Applause.)
Obama’s Farewell Address (Jan, 2017)

This point of view provides a sense of intimacy —  readers feel as if the author is
directing the writing at them, for example, a speech or a song.
 Second Person - Example

This point of view provides a sense of self-accusation.

 Third person omniscient (unlimited)

The narrator is all knowing.

Omni = All Scient = Knowing

Narrator tells thoughts and feelings of more than one
character.

Example
Tim was mad at Shay. He blamed her. Shay knew Tim would
be mad, but she wanted to live her life, so she left him.
This point of view provides a sense of distance and bias – the author is sharing his/her
perspective with readers, and it may be objective observations or subjective judgements.
 Third person limited

The narrator is limited to one character.

The narrator tells thoughts & feelings of one character.

Example
Tim was mad at Shay and shouted at her. He assumed
she had betrayed him. Shay kept silent. She left a note
and then left him.
 Third person objective

The narrator does not reveal any character’s thoughts or

feelings.
Only the character’s dialogue and actions are narrated.
Example
Tim slammed the door. He walked upstairs & read the
note from Shay. He kicked her trash can & started crying.
 Tips on identifying point of view

• Check the 1st or 2nd person before determining objective,

limited, or omniscient.
• Focus on narration, not dialogue.
 Activity: Identify the point of view

• Read the following excerpts. Decide which point of view

is used in each.
• Provide at lease 2 pieces of evidence for your decision.
 1st, 2nd, or 3rd point of view
1. You gotta fight for your right to party! - Beastie Boys
2. Linda was happy because she knew all the answers to the test
questions. Others did not do the test well.
3. We love walking the dogs in the woods. We all think it is so much fun.
4. Just a few steps, you can make a big change in your life!
5. Mary heard a loud crash in the middle of the night. She was so scared
and her parents were worried, too.
6. I always look forward to my summer vacation at the beach. I like to
collect seashells and swim in the ocean.
7. The management is very happy with the progress you are all making.
8. He is recognized the greatest football player this season.
9. If it was up to me, I would choose to drive.
 Answers
1. Second person
2. Third person (Limited)
3. First person
4. Second person
5. Third person (unlimited)
6. First person
7. Second person
8. Third person
9. First person
 EXAMPLE A

Mr. Johnson looked at Charles sternly. He simply didn’t know

what to do with this boy. Charles had been in Mr. Johnson’s
office twice earlier this week. Now here he was again, and
this time he was charged with something much more serious.
Mr. Johnson shook his head. There really was no doubt in his
mind. Charles was guilty. He looked at the police officer
standing next to Charles. No question whatsoever - Charles
had done it.
 EXAMPLE A

Mr. Johnson looked at Charles sternly. He simply didn’t

know what to do with this boy. Charles had been in Mr.
Johnson’s office twice earlier this week. Now here he was
again, and this time he was charged with something much
more serious. Mr. Johnson shook his head. There really
was no doubt in his mind. Charles was guilty. He looked at
the police officer standing next to Charles. No question
whatsoever - Charles had done it.
 Which point of view?

Excerpt A was Third Person Limited. The author, not a

character, is telling the story. We can see only what Mr.
Johnson is thinking. We know what Mr. Johnson thinks, but
we do not know what the officer or Charles thinks. We also
do not know whether or not Charles is really guilty.
 Example B

I can’t believe what is happening to me. I know

that I’ll never convince Mr. Johnson and the cop
that I had nothing to do with this. Man! I didn’t do
it. Why won’t anyone believe me? I’ve been in
trouble before, but I’ve never done anything like
this! I’ve got to convince them, or I might as well
kiss my life good-bye.
 Example B

I can’t believe what is happening to me. I know that I’ll

never convince Mr. Johnson and the cop that I had nothing
to do with this. Man! I didn’t do it. Why won’t anyone
believe me? I’ve been in trouble before, but I’ve never
done anything like this! I’ve got to convince them, or I
might as well kiss my life good-bye.
 Which point of view?

Excerpt B is an example of First Person Point of

View. Charles, a character in the story, is telling us
what happened to him. We know that Charles is
innocent.
 Example C

Officer Wiley looked at Charles and scratched his head. All

the evidence pointed to Charles’s guilt, but the officer just
couldn’t be sure. Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, knew that
Charles was guilty as sin. His numerous brushes with
authority in the past left no question in his mind at all.
Charles hung his head, knowing that this time he would not
be able to talk his way out of trouble.
 Example C

Officer Wiley looked at Charles and scratched his head. All

the evidence pointed to Charles’s guilt, but the officer just
couldn’t be sure. Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, knew
that Charles was guilty as sin. His numerous brushes with
authority in the past left no question in his mind at all.
Charles hung his head, knowing that this time he would not
be able to talk his way out of trouble.
 Which point of view?

Excerpt C is an example of Third Person Omniscient

Point of View. The author is telling the story, but we
can see what Officer Wiley, Charles, and Mr. Johnson
are thinking. We know that Mr. Johnson believes
Charles is guilty, but Officer Wiley has doubts. We still
are not sure whether or not Charles is guilty.
 Example D

When I saw them taking Charlie into the office, I lingered

outside the door, hoping to find out what he had done this
time. Charlie was my best friend, but I was getting a little
tired of defending him when I knew he was wrong. He must
have done something really big this time to have the cops
involved.
 Example D

When I saw them taking Charlie into the office, I lingered

outside the door, hoping to find out what he had done this
time. Charlie was my best friend, but I was getting a little
tired of defending him when I knew he was wrong. He must
have done something really big this time to have the cops
involved.
 Which point of view?

Excerpt D is an example of First-person Point of View.

A friend, one of the characters in the story, is
narrating. Since he does not know whether or not
Charles is guilty, neither do we.
 Practice
1. Read the following passages.

2. Determine the narrator’s perspective.

3. Write down your answer.

 1

When I was four months old, my mother died

suddenly and my father was left to look after me
all by himself… I had no brothers or sisters. So
through boyhood, from the age of four months
onward, there was just us two, my father and
me. We lived in an old gypsy caravan behind a
filling station.”
 2
The huge man dropped his blankets and flung himself down
and drank from the surface of the green pool. The small man
stepped behind him. "Lennie!" he said sharply. "Lennie, for
God" sakes don’t drink so much." Lennie continued to snort
into the pool. The small man leaned over and shook him by
the shoulder. "Lennie you gonna be sick like you was last
night." Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all…
"Tha’s good," he said. "You drink some, George." He smiled
happily.
 3
Foresight in Relationships

The previous night, make your plans for the next day and
write them down… If you attend an exclusive Samurai’s
party and feel timid, you cannot do your part in making it a
successful party. You had first better prepare by
convincing yourself that you will have a grand time. And
you should feel grateful for the invitation.
 4

Harold Davis took a deep breath and slowly started to peel

the gauze from the wound on his grandmother’s leg. “Hold
on, Grandma. I’m almost done,” He said quietly. “Don’t
worry, baby. It doesn’t hurt too much,” she quietly replied.
“Just take your time.” Harold glanced up at his grandmother
lying on the couch. He could tell she was in pain from the
way she gripped the cushions, but still she managed to smile
back at him.
 5
They were standing under a tree, each with an arm round
the other's neck, and Alice knew which was which in a
moment, because one of them had "DUM" embroidered on
his collar, and the other "DEE." "I suppose they've each got
"TWEEDLE" round at the back of the collar," she said to
herself. They stood so still that it seemed they quite forgot
Alice was there. She was just looking round to see if the
word "TWEEDLE" was written at the back of each collar
when she was startled by a voice coming from the one
marked "DUM."
 Answers
1. First person
2. Third person objective
3. Second person
4. Third person limited
5. Third person omniscient/unlimited
 Story review: I stand here ironing
Ironing: the process of straightening the wrinkles or
imperfections in the mother’s connections with her
daughter (metaphor)
• Recounts a poor working woman’s mixed feelings about her
parenting skills and her eldest daughter’s future
• Written mostly from the first person point of view
• Contains many autobiographical elements
 Group discussion: narrator’s point of view

Work out the effects of:

1. Rhetorical questions
2. Repetitions
3. Short sentences

4. Details chosen to be told

Question: Identify the mother’s tones and her attitudes
toward herself, Emily, people related to Emily’s life, and the
‘you’ (a counselor or a care-taker)
 My perception of the story
 The mother deeply loves her first daughter and blames
herself for not being able to give her good conditions for
growth, which turns a beautiful, energetic kid into a ‘slow
learner’ and a problem-laden girl later. However, the
mother still believes that her daughter is fine; she’s not a
problem that desperately needs help.
 The mother’s tone keeps shifting: tormented or self-
accusing when talking about herself, guilty and loving
about her daughter, accusing about many others, and a bit
aggressive about the ‘you’.
 Follow-up assignment – group work
Choose one of the following tasks
A. EXTENSION: First point of view: Imagine that the mother has ended her
monologue/dialogue with the “you” and finished her ironing. Suddenly she
hears/reads the news about the death of Hạo Nam and his family
background. Continue the story highlighting the mother’s feelings and
her possibly changed parenting plans. (300 words)
B. CONNECTION: Second point of view: From Hạo Nam’s perspective, give
your voice to your parents or any social subjects regarding your
feelings about your childhood and/or the current time in the form of an
epistolary writing. (300 words)
C. REFLECTION: Third point of view: From the reader’s point of view, you
give analytical comments on the mother’s parenting skills. Are you
sympathetic towards or critical of her pursuit of a new life without
Emily in it? Write an essay with cited details from the story. (300 words)
 Follow-up assignment – group work

Link to submit:

Group 2:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/
1hiLgCtAajAJwP846eAp_H2ku07AmXhck?usp=share_link

Group 3:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xxchE5Jl7xmoG68_kzuxMYHD-
UP4wTCt?usp=share_link

THANK YOU 