What is meant by 'point of view'?

Answer 1

In a work of fiction, someone is telling you a story. It may be a narrator who is never identified, or it may be a character in the story, who is saying in effect, this is what happened to me. In any event, someone is telling the story, and that person has a point of view.

Answer 2

To add to what my colleague noted, your point of view (or your perspective) is often influenced by your social class, religion, age, gender, country where you live, or education. For example, a white upper-class male from a wealthy neighborhood might have a very different point of view about life than a poor, lower-class black male from a high-poverty neighborhood. One's point of view can certainly change-- I know several people who used to be very opposed to gay marriage, but over time, as they got to know more gay men and lesbians, their point of view about gay rights changed. One other thing: your point of view-- how you look at an issue or react to it-- is also influenced by the media you watch or listen to, the people you admire, and the experiences you have had in life.

You may also find this expression used in literature and movies-- but in these contexts, it has a slightly different meaning: when you hear "point of view" in analyzing a play or a story or a film, it often refers to the narrator-- what are his or her attitudes or beliefs, and how do they influence the way the story unfolds? It can also refer to the main character, especially when we are told about that person's perspectives. So, for example, the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" is told from the point of view of Scout, and we see the story unfold through her eyes, and we are told how she feels and what she believes about the events she witnesses.

Answer 3

Point of view is the place or position from which a person sees something, either literally with the eyes or figuratively with the mind.