Point of View and Narrator — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Retelling A uses I dropped my tray, while Retelling B says Jamal dropped his tray; Retelling A is in first person.
First person uses I to put the reader inside the speaker's head and feelings.
2. Retelling B is in third person because it uses Jamal's name and the pronoun his.
Third person describes characters from outside, naming them and using he, she, or their name.
3. When a story shifts from one narrator to another, readers gain perspectives on the same event.
Multiple narrators reveal additional perspectives, helping readers understand motives that one narrator alone could miss.
4. An author who wants the reader to feel a character's anxiety closely will likely choose first person.
First person broadcasts the narrator's emotions directly, creating a strong feeling of closeness.
5. An author who wants to weave several characters' feelings together will likely choose third-person omniscient.
Omniscient narrators move freely between characters' thoughts, ideal for ensemble or family stories.
6. A loss of first-person narration is that the reader cannot know what other characters are thinking.
First person blocks access to other characters' thoughts because the narrator can report only their own mind.
7. A gain of first-person narration is a stronger sense of the narrator's voice.
First person lets a narrator's slang, jokes, and emotions shine, building a memorable voice for the reader.
8. A retelling that suddenly uses you to address the reader is using second person.
Second person speaks directly to the reader, often used for instructions or immersive moments.
9. When two retellings disagree about what happened, the difference shows that POV shapes the truth.
Each narrator filters events through their own knowledge and bias, so POV can change the reported truth.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Author wants tight emotional closeness
→ First person
First person
Author wants secret villain plots revealed
→ Third-person omniscient
Third-person omniscient
Author wants the reader to feel like the hero
→ Second person
Second person
Author wants several family members' views
→ Multiple first-person narrators
Multiple first-person narrators
POV is a tool kit; closeness, secrets, immersion, and ensembles each have a best-fit narrator type.