The third-person point of view (POV) in writing is a narrative perspective where the narrator is external to the story and refers to characters by their names or third-person pronouns such as "he," "she," or "they." The narrator does not directly address the reader and presents the story as an outside observer
. There are three main types of third-person POV:
- Third-person limited: The narrator closely follows the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of one character, providing insight into that character's perspective while remaining outside the story
- Third-person omniscient: The narrator is all-knowing and can reveal the thoughts, emotions, and experiences of multiple characters, offering a god-like overview of the story
- Third-person objective: The narrator remains neutral and detached, reporting only observable actions and dialogue without access to any character's inner thoughts or feelings, similar to a camera recording events
This POV creates a sense of distance between the narrator and the characters, allowing the writer to present multiple viewpoints and a broader scope of the story. It is widely used in fiction and can also be effective in non-fiction
. In summary, third-person point of view means telling a story from an external narrator's perspective using third-person pronouns, with varying degrees of insight into characters' minds depending on the type chosen.
