A History of the World in 10.5 Chapter 7 (Three Simple Stories) in 1st and other two stories

The point of view used in "The History of the World in 10½ Chapters," by Julian Barnes, changes from first person to third person omniscient, depending on the topic. The first person is more personal and subjective and is used mainly when Barnes is describing his own feelings and experiences. A good example of the first person can be seen in "The Stowaway" and "The Survivor."

The use of first person is particularly entertaining in "The Stowaway" as the narrator is a woodworm that managed to sneak aboard Noah's Ark. The woodworm is an objective speaker and is eager to set the record straight regarding the famous voyage.

The parts written in third person omniscient tend to be those of observation of the weather, behaviors of others, or inanimate objects. Good examples of these problems include, "The Wars of Religion" and "The Mountain." In the chapters that use third person omniscient, the writer has the ability to relay to the reader the complete picture, rather than the single vision or impressions as viewed by one person.

There are sections that combine first and third person points of view. The switch between first and third person in "The Survivor" is at times necessary to understand Kathy's frame of mind and obvious decline. At other times, the switch is so frequent that even with the change in pronouns, it is difficult to tell which side of the story is being told and by whom.