Use Of Point Of View example essay topic

A child often sees the world in a different perspective than a fully mature adult does. It is easy for one to forget how big the world can look to a young person. Life experiences at such a tender age often shape and mold a person into what he or she becomes as an adult. In the passage from "A White Heron", the author uses vivid imagery, elaborate diction, and an innocent point of view to reveal how awesome and powerful the world and simple life experiences can seem through the eyes of a child. The imagery present in the passage is abundant and inspiring. Images of the great tree and the view which it provides give a reader the feeling as if he or she is right there with the child.

The phrase, "dangerous pass from one tree to another", provides a suspenseful moment for the reader as the child seems to dangle helplessly between the two trees. Other statements, such as, "The sharp dry twigs caught her and held her and scratched her like angry talons", give more vivid images of the frightening terrain in which the girl finds herself. One of the most stirring phrases is, "human spirit creeping and climbing from higher branch to branch". It brings a view that this little girl is much more than flesh and bone, but a soul full of energy and life, which she is living to the fullest. Diction plays an important role in this passage. Intense feelings can be roused from just reading a few lines.

"Where the land was highest, a great pine-tree stood", is a statement in which the author uses words to give the surrounding land a very large feel. The phrase, "the great enterprise would really begin", gives the reader the impression that the feat which the child is about to perform is one of no meager consequence in her eyes. One of the most enrapturing lines is, "trembling and tired but wholly triumphant". A reader is given the ability to share the feeling of pride with the girl, along with fatigue that came with the completion of such a large accomplishment for the small child. The author makes excellent use of point of view in the passage.

He is able to place the reader in the shoes of the little girl during her fascinating adventure. In line eight, the phrase, "this old pine towered above them all", is used to show the view of the pine tree as the child sees it. A reader takes the place of the small child and sees the tall tree as a looming giant. The statement, "whoever climbed to the top of it could see the ocean", further shows how a small child would perceive most everything in the world as quite large. The last line, "truly it was a vast and awesome world", reveals the intense effects such a trivial activity could have on a child's outlook on the world. The authors strong grasp of the use of point of view enables even the most unlikely reader to enter into the realm of a child.

Life experiences play such a large role in sculpting a child's development, that even minor ones are very important. The little girl in this passage is able to experience sights most of which the common person will never see. Even though the venture in which she partakes is not considered a great one in many eyes, it is evident that it moves her in a deep and profound way.