Point of View

I have read tons of articles on point of view. I’ve studied whole books on the subject. Still, sometimes when I’m writing I lose track of what that really means. This last week I’ve had a number of lessons.

Several years ago, in article in RWR, November ’03, The View from Here by Leigh Michaels, she pointed out how perspective has to be considered, too, when trying to get point of view right. How true I have found this in my writing and in trying to understand others, whether characters in your work or flesh and blood people you interact with.

Point of view and perspective work together to make up character. It’s what you see and hear but also how you feel about what you see and hear. It’s about what’s come before because that gives a character reason to react in their own unique way. It’s about how a person expresses himself, too. That’s a lot to think about.

How often do you observe someone do something and you wonder why. Years ago, my husband and I were at a diner having a nice Sunday morning breakfast. As the family next to us prepared to leave, their actions caught our attention. Carefully, the mother picked off every smidgen of food left on each of the plates and put it in a Styrofoam container, then stacked the dishes. Then, she dumped every bit of water left in the glasses into a Tupperware container she pulled from a diaper bag and stacked the glasses inside each other. She placed both containers carefully into the diaper bag while the father took napkins and cleaned all the surfaces of any crumbs, then gathered the discarded napkins and folded them neatly before shoving them into the top empty glass. This was done with practiced efficiency as the three solemn kids look on. It was obvious they had done this before.

I could think up a dozen scenarios. They were on the run and needed the food so they didn’t have to stop so often, and maybe, be seen. They were starving, but found a twenty-dollar bill and decided to use it for one good meal in a warm restaurant. Leftovers would get them through the next day. They were raising pigs or they fed their dog the scraps. (Still doesn’t explain the water, but…)

To me, what they did was cause for speculation, to them, just the way they ate at a restaurant. My point of view and theirs, but what was their perspective? Were they embarrassed by the situation or did they even notice the stares because it was common to gather food scraps for their livestock? Were they scared and hungry and desperate and just doing what they had to do to survive?

Memories are another area where point of view and perspective can be so different to all involved. Just ask a sibling or friend what they remember in a given incident. It might be close to what you remember but I guarantee there will be things that are off in your memory. Next reunion, family or school, ask around. You’ll be astounded at the different descriptions of the same incident.

My point of view: yesterday’s snowstorm will be a wet, sloppy mess for my walk today. Perspective: My daily walk is one of the elements that I believe has contributed to my getting better. So, I pull on my boots and do the walk. I’d be letting myself down if I don’t. Besides, the sun is shining, the sky is a patchwork of blue, and gray, and white, and I haven’t been outside for days. I might even be lucky enough to see the deer or at the least, their tracks.

From my dog’s perspective, there are the most wildly interesting smells out there. What’s not to be happy about?