The narrative point of view that uses the pronoun “I” is called first person.
In first-person narration, the storyteller is a participant in the events, either as the main character or as a witness. The narrator commonly uses “I,” “me,” “my,” or “we,” allowing readers to experience the story through that character’s knowledge, feelings, and personal interpretation.
This viewpoint creates intimacy but also limits what the narrator can know. A first-person narrator may misunderstand events, conceal information, or deliberately mislead the audience, creating an unreliable narrator. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick are well-known examples; Moby-Dick begins with Ishmael’s famous introduction, “Call me Ishmael.”
First person is often confused with third person, which refers to characters as “he,” “she,” or “they.” Omniscient narration is also different: it describes a narrator who can know the thoughts and experiences of multiple characters, whereas a typical first-person narrator has a more restricted perspective.