Compare and Contrast the Use of Point of View in Richard Ford and Ernest Hemingway’s Stories.

Compare And Contrast The Use of Point of View In Richard Ford and Ernest Hemingway’s Stories.

Point of view refers to the position from which the reader reads the story. The events, characters, and descriptions in a story are presented to the reader from a particular viewing point for a special purpose. A skillful writer would choose an appropriate point of view to present this story. First, the story of “ Great Fall” by Richard Ford is told from the first person point of view using Jackie as the first person narrator. However, Ernest Hemingway’s “ Hills Like White Elephants” uses the objective point of view to show his observation about the two main characters’ actions without adding any comments or opinions. Second, both authors have chosen a very appropriate point of view to depict two tragic stories and reveal the apathy of human nature and selfishness.

Richard Ford’s “Great Falls” uses the first suitable point of view to present the story in order to allow readers to see the narrator’s mind and understands his attitude towards the conflict between his parents. In this viewpoint Jackie depicts his actions, makes judgments and expresses opinions; however, no one has complete knowledge of anything. Thereby the narrator does not always give other characters' thoughts, feelings, or perceptions as much as his own. For example, when Jackie’s father uses a revolver pistol to point Woody’s chin, Mrs. Russell looks so calm, and “ she shook her head at me (Jackie) again. I do not think she thought my father would shoot Woody. And I don’t think Woody thought so. Nobody did, I think, except my father himself. But I think he did, and was trying to find out how to” (Ford 571). Readers can only get to hear the thoughts of his and see the world depicted in the story through his eyes. Readers cannot find out what the Russells’ and Woody’s real thinking.

Unlike Richard Ford’s “Great Falls” using the first person perspective, the story, “Hills Like White Elephants”,...