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POV in "Of Mice and Men" (extra)


Point of View:

Of Mice and Men


  • Who is the narrator in the story?
The narrator is a limited third person omniscient one.  We are told where the characters are going and why, but we are not always told the explicit thoughts of the characters, instead it is described.  

  • Is there only one narrator?
There is only one narrator.

  • What is the point of view of the work?
The point of view is an exterior, objective one.  The narrator does not give his opinion.

  • How is the reader’s engagement in the story affected by the point of view?
Although we are immersed in their world with vivid descriptions (see post about style), we are clearly just an exterior observer.  The narration doesn't try to tell us how we should feel, it lets us think for ourselves. 


This differs slightly from the film, as it, in comparison, uses many tricks to immerse the viewer into the story.  However, this distance comes back in the final scene (when George shoots Lenny) as we are not explicitly told how to feel or react (see post about visual aspects for more detail on the film).

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