Point of view

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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Stories written in the same point of view can carry different interpretations of the narrator and the story. Those interpretations of the characters and the story may depend on when the story was written and how reliable the narrator is. The reliability of the narrator relates to when the story is told. Time phrase of the story matters because when a story is written after some time has passed a certain type of narrator may have great insight on their past or they may lack insight. The doctor in William Carlos Williams? ?The Use of Force? and Sammy in John Updike?s ?A&P? are two main characters who narrate their story after a long time has passed. Both stories have a conflict, for instance the doctor reflects on his incident with his patient Mathilda, and Sammy narrates his story about quitting his job for an unworthy principle.

Although, both stories are similar because they are written in first person point of view, and told after some time of their incident, they contrast because the doctor is far more reliable than Sammy.

The doctor in ?The Use of Force? narrates his story in first person point of view after the event. The girl, Mathilda, who he tries to treat diphtheria motivates him to write his feelings after the event. Due to Mathilda who refuses her throat check up, the doctor changes from professional to impatient and furious. ?I smiled in my best professional manner and asking for the child?s first name I said, come on.? The doctor explains the effort he shows to gain trust from the little girl. Regardless of the bad cooperation of the girl, the doctor gives her comfort with kind words of friendliness. However, the girl soon refuses her check up which leads to...