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Point Of View

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Free Essay Submitted by bignerds on 06/28/2008 08:11 PM

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  • Category: English
  • Words: 1196
  • Pages: 5
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Point Of View

Point of View is always an important choice for the short story writer.

Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes is an excellent example of how a story’s Point of View can add to or take away from the total effect of the story. Keyes uses first person point of view to tell the story of Charlie Gordon. This story uses point of view in a particularly interesting way, as it is written in a series of diary entries or scientific reports. This enables the reader to learn not only how Charlie is feeling, it also enables them to observe his reading and writing skills (this angle is only available when written in this form) and often gives them an insight into Charlie’s world that he himself doesn’t pick up. Had the story been written from a different point of view, it probably wouldn’t be nearly as powerful as it was.

Keyes uses first person narration to tell the story. By using Charlie Gordon (the main character) as narrator, Keyes enables the reader to become a lot closer/more emotionally connected to the character then they would have been, had the story been told for example in third person objective. This is because the reader spends more time with Charlie and they begin to know things about him and understand him as a real person.
“I thot Dr Strauss was my frend but he dont help me … I think progress reports are stupid too.” Pg116 Because the story is told by Charlie, Keyes is able to let the reader know exactly how Charlie is feeling by using words such as “I”. He also shows the reader a lot about how others are acting towards Charlie through all the little incidents and interactions Charlie describes.

In most of the stories that Charlie tells the reader is able to see a lot more about the situation then Charlie can. This technique irony can only be really effective when using first person point of view.
“We had a lot of fun at the factery today Joe Carn said hey look where Charlie had...

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