Point of View & Perspective | Student Worksheet

What Will You Learn?

In 8th grade, you'll go beyond identifying first or third person narration. You'll analyze how perspective shapes understanding - what we see and don't see depends on who's telling the story. You'll identify unreliable narrators who might be biased, limited, or even deliberately misleading, and understand how authors choose perspectives to create specific effects.

Perspective: More Than Just Pronouns

Point of view isn't just about "I" vs "he/she." It's about whose eyes we see through and how that shapes what we understand.

Every narrator has:

Access: What they can and can't observe (were they there? can they read minds?)
Knowledge: What they do and don't know (background information, context)
Bias: How their feelings and experiences color their interpretation

8th Grade Skill: Analyze how these factors shape what readers understand about events!

The Same Event, Two Perspectives

Read both versions of the same moment:

Version A: Told by Marcus

I saw Keisha sitting alone at lunch again. She's always by herself, staring at her phone, acting like she's too good to talk to anyone. When I walked over to invite her to our table, she barely looked up. "I'm fine," she said, like I was bothering her. Whatever. I tried to be nice. Some people just don't want friends.

Version B: Told by Keisha

I was trying not to cry when Marcus walked over. Mom's text said she wouldn't make it to my recital again. When he asked if I wanted to sit with his group, I couldn't look at him - he'd see my eyes were red. "I'm fine," I managed to say. I could tell he was annoyed, but I couldn't explain. Not there. Not then. He walked away before I could say anything else.

What Each Perspective Reveals and Conceals

	Marcus's Version REVEALS	Marcus's Version CONCEALS
About Marcus	He tried to be friendly; felt rejected	His assumptions; his quick judgment
About Keisha	She was alone; gave a short response	WHY she was upset; what she was feeling
About the situation	Surface action: invitation, refusal	Real reason behind Keisha's behavior

Key insight: Marcus isn't lying, but his perspective is LIMITED. He can't see what's really happening with Keisha. His conclusion ("Some people just don't want friends") is wrong, but understandable from his position.

Understanding Unreliable Narrators

An unreliable narrator is one whose account can't be fully trusted. This doesn't always mean they're lying - they might be:

Limited: They don't have all the information (like Marcus)
Biased: Their feelings color how they interpret events
Young or inexperienced: They don't understand what they're seeing
Deliberately deceptive: They have reasons to mislead the reader
Self-deceiving: They believe things about themselves that aren't true

How to Spot Unreliable Narration

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Contradictions: Does what the narrator says match what actually happens? Do other characters react unexpectedly?

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Strong emotions: Is the narrator very angry, jealous, scared, or excited? Strong feelings can distort perception.

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Missing information: What ISN'T the narrator telling us? What can't they know?

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Self-interest: Does the narrator benefit from telling the story this way? Do they look good while others look bad?

Why Authors Choose Specific Perspectives

Authors pick narrators carefully to create effects:

Effect Author Wants	Perspective Choice
Create suspense	Limited perspective - reader only knows what narrator knows
Build sympathy	First person from character readers should connect with
Create dramatic irony	Let reader know things the narrator doesn't
Show complexity	Multiple perspectives on same events

Your Turn!

1. In Marcus's version, what does he ASSUME about Keisha that Keisha's version shows is wrong?

2. Is Marcus an UNRELIABLE narrator? Explain why or why not, using what you learned about unreliability.

3. If this story were told ONLY from Marcus's perspective, how would the reader likely feel about Keisha? Why?

4. Why might an author CHOOSE to show both perspectives instead of just one?

5. What THEME or message might emerge from seeing both perspectives that wouldn't emerge from just one?

Tips for Analyzing Perspective

Ask "What can't they know?": Every narrator has blind spots
Look for emotional language: Strong feelings can signal bias
Compare narrator's conclusions to evidence: Are their interpretations supported?
Consider author's purpose: WHY did the author choose this narrator?

Remember: Every story is told by SOMEONE, and that someone shapes what we see. Critical readers ask whose voice is missing and what a different narrator might reveal!