Point of View

The point of view shifts that happen at the end of Gusev and Hills Like White Elephants are on the opposite sides of the spectrum. In Gusev, the shift is one that is obvious to the reader. The shift was illustrated with an absolutely different atmosphere in words of imagery and diction. On the contrary, in Hills like White Elephants, the shift can be easy to miss if the reader is not paying close attention to detail and diction that the writer portrays. In this story, the shift was only illustrated in a single word. By breaking the "rule" of changing the point of view in writers' stories, the impact of such an important change in a story accentuates detail and is used as a powerful tool in writing, if done correctly. My opinion is, authors that know how to strategically change the point of view, in which the reader is positively affected by gaining a wider perception of the characters in the story, are some of the most successful writers in this field. I’m not saying that writers cannot be effective without including a point of view shift in their stories, but I totally support in breaking the rule of a change or shift in the point of view in a story if it produces a better outlook on the story written.
Being taught to keep a single point of view in my writing since the beginning of my writing experience, it is hard to accept and understand stories that go against what I’ve learned for so long. If done correctly and effectively, like Gusuv and Hills Like White Elephants, I can agreeably accept this taboo and try to understand how to effectively use this writing tool to my own advantage in my future literary works.