A matter of perspective

Perspective is not the same as point of view.

Point of view comes in three basic types: first person, second person, and third person. Third person POV can be separated into "omniscient" and "limited omniscient."

Perspective, not necessarily of the Filippo Brunelleschi variety, often involves comparisons. Here's one:

Last year I was speaking with my best friend's husband about buying hay. They have two horses; so do I. They complained about the rising cost of hay, having paid about $4.50 per bale which they then had to transport and stack. I mentioned I'd paid $7.50 per bale which the hay farmer delivered and stacked for us. I also mentioned that I considered that price reasonable, because the year before I'd paid $10.00 per bale, a price that did not include delivery or stacking.

From my perspective, last year's hay came at a 25 percent discount with more service: a better value for me. Unfortunately, my geriatric mare disliked 2019's expensive hay--purchased specifically for her nutritional requirements--but that was another issue entirely. (Sometimes, there's no accounting for taste. I had to supplement with equine senior feed to meet her nutritional needs over the winter. She was picky about that, too.)

Perspective is often personal. What might be tragic to one person seems more like a minor inconvenience to another; unbearable to one, an irritation to someone else; wonderful to one, mildly pleasant to someone else. Of course not all differing perspectives involve such strong, opposite reactions. Perspective may involve a matter of degree rather than contrast.

When writing from the first person point of view, the protagonist's perspective can and should come through clearly. There is little or no room for other characters' perspectives. The protagonist will (and should) have an opinion on other characters' perspectives, either agreeing with them, dismissing them, or considering that the other character has a point, but not necessarily whole agreement.

Perspective may or may not reflect the author's own attitude. It's easier to write, of course, if it does. If a character's perspective doesn't align with the author's, then the author risks demonizing that character, because the villain thinks he's right. This happens in real life, too.

Consider exhortations regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and masks. Polarizing rhetoric offers differing perspectives, each "right" from the opinion holder's point of view. Get the vaccine or don't get the vaccine coincides with accusations of being mindless "sheeple" to being selfish. There's no winning for anyone on either side of the argument. Both sides have studies and science they can spout to debate the validity of their perspectives. Problems arise when one side or the other or both refuse to listen to differing opinions or question the research. Validity requires testing. That's a proven part of the scientific method.

Perspectives: like certain anatomical parts, everyone has them. The trick lies within the rationale on which they're based and in how they're presented.