60 points and !
point of view is the perspective from which information is given to readers. often writers use the third-person omniscient point of view to give readers more information than the characters themselves have. this technique influences how characters see events as they unfold.

limiting each character’s point of view allows the author to introduce dramatic irony, which occurs when the reader knows something that a character does not know. authors can use differences between the points of view of the reader and characters to create effects such as suspense or humor in their stories.

in this activity, you will read a short story and analyze how differences in points of view create effects in the story.

directions:
1. read “cabin fever” closely. pay close attention to characters, point of view, and the effects that points of view have on the story.
2. take a look at the questions in part 1, which appears after the story. as you read, you should find text evidence that will you answer each of the questions. you can underline, boldface, italicize, or change the font color of the text. you may want to organize the information in the story by using those techniques. for instance, underline information about characters, boldface information that gives clues about points of view, and use a color to mark major examples of dramatic irony.
3. answer the questions in part 1.
4. use your notes from part 1 to write a two- to three-paragraph analysis of “cabin fever” in part 2.

cabin fever

the wind was blowing on that early summer morning. lara and her two brothers had awoken early, slipped on their swimming suits, and prepared to head down to the lake for a swim; but, as lara reached for the doorknob of our cabin, i stopped her cold.

“not so fast, lara,” i intoned. i stood in the kitchen, staring out the window, with my hands planted firmly on the laminated counter. “not before you and your brothers make your beds and clean your room.”

as lara and her brothers toiled in the bedroom, a moan outside and thump against the side of the cabin startled them, so they scrambled to see what had happened. i was still gazing out the kitchen window, viewing the sunshine, warm air, and cool lake—and the tail end of the grizzly bear that had been trying to get into our cabin. i turned the kids back to their cleaning, informing them that it was “just the wind.”

a half-hour ticked agonizingly by, second by second. i heard the kids grumbling as they did what surely would have been five minutes' work for me, whining that, as they labored, their precious lake was evaporating forever into the mists of time.

when, at last, my heart stopped racing and i turned calmly from the window to release the kids into the world, they bolted eagerly out the cabin door. again, they stopped cold, this time because of the confused sight of an upended garbage can and trash strewn about the yard.

lara laughed with understanding and relief when she saw the gashes in the cabin’s side. “look, guys! ” she exclaimed. “that thump we heard wasn’t from the wind! mom was protecting us from a bear the whole time. it must have been spying through our kitchen window to see if more food lay inside.”

i chuckled along with her, happy that i had been able to keep everyone safe.

part 1

1. does the reader have an omniscient or limited omniscient perspective? how do you know?

2. from whose point of view is the story mainly told? what text evidence supports your conclusion?

3. what do the mother and reader know that her children do not?

4. how does the author create dramatic irony in the text? what effect does the dramatic irony have?

part 2: writing instructions

write a two- to three-paragraph analysis of the story "cabin fever." examine the points of view of the reader and the story’s characters, describing any effects—including dramatic irony—created by differences in points of view. consider how the text and effects would be different if the story were told from a different point of view. use the information in part 1 to you organize your ideas. refer to the text for evidence to you support the ideas in your analysis. remember that each of your paragraphs should contain at least 5-7 complete sentences.

remember to:
• introduce the passage by naming the text and telling its characters.
• explain the plot of the story, using sufficient details but leaving out unnecessary information.
• identify the points of view of the reader and characters.
• describe effects created by differences in the point of view of the reader and characters.
• consider how the text and effects would be different if the story were told from a different point of view.
• use evidence from the text to support your analysis.