Exploring Point of View (POV) with Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Are you a new author? Are you struggling with POV? How do you choose the best Point of View for your story? What types of POV are there?

One method of choosing a suitable POV for your novel involves analysing a straightforward tale, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and comparing a few narrative styles. This method looks at the well-know story, but considers how it might be 'seen' and experienced from each character’s perspective. In this way, we'll consider individualised experiences and particular reactions to events.

Exploring Point of View (POV) with Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

How can you begin exploring Point of View (POV) with a story like Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Well, the first-person narrative of this story, if told solely from Goldilocks’ perspective (her POV), would be incomplete. Why? Do you remember how Goldilocks, felt tired after eating Baby Bear’s porridge, so she took a nap? Do you recall that she ended up sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed because the other beds were hard or lumpy? Do you remember that she missed the bears’ return to their ransacked home because she was sleeping? First person narrative, the story narrated from the perspective of Goldilocks is not the optimal way to present this story because it missed important lumps of plot!

First-person perspective (POV) is a great way to get close to a character and to feel what they feel and see what they see, but first-person POV can be restrictive (for example, in this case, Goldilocks is sleeping when the ‘action’ starts.)

However, consider, as a thought experiment, recounting the story from Father Bear’s point of view. Just like Goldilocks, he’d only know a portion of the tale,. It's impossible for him to deduce that the burglar might be a little girl because he didn't witness the earlier part of the story. He might think their home had been ransacked by a hoodlum, so he’d be very angry, especially when he saw the broken chair.

His protective instinct would kick in, and he'd make sure Mother Bear and Baby Bear were safe, perhaps telling them to wait outside until the fairyland police arrived. He might grab a candlestick or broom handle and search the house to confirm the burglar had left the scene. Picture his reaction upon finding that his bed had been laid in. Just picture his fury when he saw how the burglar had traipsed through their house! Consider his struggle to control his temper when he saw a human asleep in Baby Bear’s bed!

Now, picture this same story, narrated by Mother Bear. She might be more furious and be more protective than Father Bear, potentially driven wild by her maternal instinct to protect her child; she could be the one to tell the others to wait outside while she checked their home for the intruder. Would Mother Bear have viewed Goldilocks favourably, discovering her asleep in Baby Bear’s bed? Possibly not!

As another experimental idea, consider creating an original character for this fairy story, such as a mouse living within the skirting board. Disney frequently employed this type of narrative technique. A mouse would witness the entire narrative unfold, albeit with detachment, as it would lack any true concern for Goldilocks or the Three Bears. This narrative would be from a mouse’s perspective, at ground level, observing events from below their feet.

The mouse-viewpoint would emphasize sounds and smells over sight, and a mouse’s concerns would be limited to immediate, tangible details like the scattered grains of porridge that he might collect from under a table leg, rather than the story’s larger moral implications. However, the mouse, could navigate through a network of tunnels to visit each room and observe the progression of the narrative as Goldilocks went along, so the mouse character could give a more complete version of the story than any other person!

You might choose an omniscient viewpoint (omniscient or limited POV) to present the Goldilocks story comprehensively. This type of narrative is delivered by an ‘unseen’ narrator who possesses prior knowledge of the events before the characters get to experience them. ‘Unseen’ omniscient narrators normally possess a ‘godlike’ awareness of unfolding events. Most works by Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, and George Eliot are offered in this style; the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is typically told by an omniscient ‘unseen’ narrator, but this narrative style is seen as 'antiquated' by modern readers.

These days, novelists tend to use multiple points of view, presenting distinct perspectives in separate sections or in different chapters. “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin is a prime example of using multiple POVs.

As a practice activity, perhaps you’d like to rethink Goldilocks and the Three Bears through multiple viewpoints. Switching between multiple character perspectives offers a more in-depth look at the events at the Three Bears home. Start with Goldilocks, as her uninvited entry into their house raises questions about why she considered such behaviour appropriate. You might want to consider why she was tired and hungry, had she been neglected by her parents or care-givers?

Then, in a separate passage, recount the story through the mouse’s eyes, allowing it to witness everything (but keeping in mind its limited perspective from the floor).

Then you might bring in Father Bear’s account (why was the cottage door left open for anyone to creep inside? Had he neglected to shut it securely, or was someone else to blame for this obvious lack of security?) Did he feel protective? Or was he just plain angry?

Then perhaps, in the next section, bring in Mother Bear’s account, detailing her fear and anxiety over her home being ‘violated’ by an intruder, her feelings of vulnerability, her protective instincts towards her baby, and her escalating anger towards the perpetrator, along with an examination of her emotional distress and the rage that builds upon discovering a broken chair.

Finally, it would be beneficial to disclose Baby Bear’s story; he’d be innocent and gullible but, perhaps, he’d be the one who'd save Goldilocks from a savage mauling because he'd be compassionate, thoughtful, and forgiving when they found the human sleeping in his bed.

A story with multiple perspectives allows for richer detail, more intricate complexity, and a fuller account of events. Using multiple POVs can be beneficial, though it requires more planning and detailed storyboarding.

Sometimes, in fairy tales, often in Disney stories, you'll see an inanimate object that can’t ‘typically’ feel or think, but it's given a storytelling voice anyhow, examples include a dish or a spoon, even a candlestick. Try not to limit yourself to ‘conventional’ narrative styles; experiment with alternatives to make your story zing!

For your upcoming story, which point of view are you planning to use? Have you tried different POVs to find the one that best suits your needs? Let me know how you get on!

© Neil Mach February 2026

Neil Mach is a prolific English author known for his clean urban fantasy fiction (like his popular 'Moondog' series) and his historical fiction works. Neil is also a well-known public speaker, and a creativity advisor. Neil has a background as a rock journalist. He frequently shares his expertise on writing and the music business, particularly rock music history, and has written over 20 books, and he often addresses writing workshops. Since its launch in 2019, his extremely popular Myth & Magic podcast has provided enthusiasts of fantasy literature and fantasy art with over 125 hours of audio enjoyment.