Different Characters, Different Points of View

Why Do Characters See Things Differently?

Have you ever had a day when you were really happy, but your friend was feeling sad? Maybe you loved the rain because you could jump in puddles. But your friend was sad because recess got moved inside. You both saw the same rain, but you felt different things about it!

Stories work the same way. Writers have been creating characters with different feelings and thoughts for a very, very long time. Let's look at how people have been telling these kinds of stories.

The big question we are going to answer today is: How can two characters in the same story see things in different ways? Let's find out!

The Big Ideas

Before we practice, let's learn four important ideas. These ideas will help you find the different points of view in any story you read. A point of view is how a character thinks or feels about what is happening.

See It: A Picture of Different Views

Look at the picture below. It shows two characters — Cat and Dog — looking at the same thing: a big rainstorm! But they feel very different about it.

Cat and Dog are both outside in the rain. Cat's point of view is that rain is bad because cats don't like getting wet. Dog's point of view is that rain is great because there are puddles to splash in! The characters have different points of view about the same thing.

How to Find Different Points of View

When you read a story, you can be a detective! Here is how to find each character's point of view. Follow these three steps.

Let's see these steps in a picture.

Every time you read a story, try these three steps. Soon it will feel easy, like riding a bike!

Look Closer: Clue Words to Watch For

How do you know what a character feels? Look for clue words in the story. These words tell you about a character's point of view. Here are some clue words sorted by feeling.

When you see these clue words, stop and think: "Who feels this way? Does the other character feel the same way?" If they don't, you just found different points of view!

Worked Example: The New Puppy

Let's read a short story and find the different points of view together.

Great job! See how easy it is when you follow the steps?

Same or Different? Let's Compare!

Sometimes characters agree. Sometimes they don't. When characters have the same point of view, they both feel the same way about something. When they have different points of view, they feel different ways. Here is a chart that shows you the difference.

Notice that characters can feel different about almost anything! What matters is that you can find the differences and explain them. That's what makes you a strong reader.

Going Further: Who Tells the Story?

Now that you can find different characters' points of view, here is something cool to think about. Sometimes a story is told by one character. That character uses the word "I" to tell you what happens. This is called first person.

Other times, a narrator tells the story. The narrator is not a character. The narrator uses the words "he," "she," and "they." This is called third person.

You are building a superpower. The more you practice finding different points of view now, the easier it will be to understand bigger, longer books later. Keep going!

Practice Time!

Try these five questions. Click "Show Answer" when you are ready to check your work. You can do this!

What We Learned