The Differences between Subjective and Objective Viewpoint

Please note that some of the links aren’t present yet. I am currently adding to this topic.

Every author must have a clear understanding of subjective and objective viewpoint. Are you in the mind of the one telling the story? Then the viewpoint is subjective. It allows you to reveal feelings and emotions. Are you (or a character in your book) an observer? This viewpoint is objective.

Subjective Contrasted with Objective Viewpoint

The easiest way to keep the difference between subjective and objective clear in your mind is this:

Subjective is always a view from inside. It’s “based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes or opinions.”¹

Objective is a view from the outside. It’s impartial. “It’s not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.”²

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Norma Youngberg says:

“We look from both these viewpoints all the time. We view all that goes on inside us with subjective feelings and at the same time view every other person or object from objective viewpoint. This duality of viewpoint is always present…”³

Youngberg goes on to say that this duality contributes to our difficulty in sorting out which viewpoint we should use.This content is for members only.

Types of Subjective and Objective Viewpoint

First person subjective tells the lead character’s story from inside the lead character’s mind. The character tells his or her own story in reaction to the surrounding world. ‘I’ tells the story. Learn more about first person subjective here.

First person objective tells the primary character’s story as an onlooker. The person telling the story may or may not reveal his or her internal feelings about what is happening to the primary character. (This viewpoint may be called minor characters viewpoint. In this viewpoint, ‘I’ also tells story. Learn more about first person objective here.

Second person subjective is the viewpoint in which the author writes directly to the reader. It is also known as the essay viewpoint. This is the viewpoint used in this article. There is no second person objective viewpoint. Learn more about second person subjective here.

Third person subjective replaces ‘I’ with the character’s name or one of the third person pronouns. Otherwise all the rules of the same as in first person subjective. Learn more about third person subjective viewpoint here.

Third person objective also replaces the storyteller’s ‘I’ with the storyteller’s name or one of the third person pronouns. This character may express his or her reactions to what’s happening to the primary character in the story, but the story is primarily about someone else. Learn more about third person objective viewpoint here.

Pure objective steps outside all the characters in the book and provides a view from an unnamed observer. It is may use both subjective and objective views before the funnel narrows to one of the third person viewpoints. Learn more about pure objective viewpoint here.

Youngberg writes an excellent summary of viewpoints. I cannot improve on it.

Subjective

1. First person: ‘I’ tell ‘my’ story.
2. Second person: ‘You’ tell the story
3. Third person: ‘He’ tells ‘his’ story.
4. Omniscient: Enters all minds and may use all subjective and objective viewpoints.

Objective

1. First person: ‘I’ tell the hero’s story.
2. Third person: ‘He’ or ‘she’ tells the hero’s story.
3. Pure objective: An ‘unseen observer’ tells the hero’s story.⁴

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¹Google search result for ‘meaning of subjective.’
²Google search result for ‘meaning of objective.’
³Norma Youngberg, Creative Techniques for Christian Writers. Pacific Press, 1968, p. 35.
⁴Ibid., p. 73.