The Authors Point of View - Essay Example

The first person’s point of view affects the reading and interpretation of the story. It limits the reader to the knowledge, perceptions, and feelings of the narrator. For example, the reader does not get to know the name of Dee’s male companion because “after I tripped over it…he told me to just call him Hakim-a-barber.” It is also not clear whether the man is a barber or not because the narrator does not ask. Moreover, the readers cannot glean much about the relationship between Dee and Hakim-a-barber and where they have been before appearing on the scene. On the other hand, the first person’s point of view allows the readers to get into the story as they are able to see the world from the narrator’s perspective.

For example, it would have enabled the author to explore Dee’s life and by so doing, the readers would have been able to learn more about Dee’s companion. The narrator says “You must belong to those beef-cattle people down the road.” The readers may not be familiar with the kind of people that live “down the road”. The third person’s point of view would have allowed the author more room for shedding light on the beef-cattle people down the road.