point of view

The position from which an event or character is seen, often determining its significance. Just as plot is different from story, point of view is different from looking at something. Plot refers to the way a story is told, and point of view refers to the way something is seen. The point of view of a narrator is frequently objective and external, but the way a narrative might be written to suggest that the point of view is subjective, belonging to or related to a particular character in the work.