In literature and writing, the first person point of view is a narrative perspective in which the story is told from the perspective of a character within the story, using pronouns such as "I," "me," "my," and "myself". This perspective allows the reader to experience the story and the world of the main character in a more intimate and personal way compared to third-person perspectives. Some key features of the first person point of view include:
- The narrator is a character in the story, often the protagonist, and tells the story from their own perspective.
- The reader is limited to the narrators experiences and awareness of the true state of affairs.
- The narrator may relay dialogue with other characters or refer to information they heard from the other characters, in order to try to deliver a larger point of view.
- In some stories, the narrator may switch to different characters in order to introduce a broader perspective.
- In the first-person-plural point of view, narrators tell the story using "we." That is, no individual speaker is identified; the narrator is a member of a group that acts as a unit.
First person point of view is a popular writing approach, as it gives readers an intimate view of the characters and a front-row seat to the action. It has been used effectively in various literary works, such as Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations," where the first person viewpoint was used to help the readers relate to the young protagonist born into poverty.
