Final answer:
The narrator's point of view shapes a story by determining the perspective from which it is told, affecting the intimacy and scope of the reader's understanding. A first-person narrator offers personal insights but may be biased, while an omniscient narrator provides a comprehensive view of all characters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The narrator's point of view is critical in shaping a story as it determines from whose perspective the story is told. A story can be narrated from the first-person point of view, where the narrator is a character within the story using 'I' or 'me' pronouns. For example, if a story is told from Huck Finn's perspective, readers are limited to Huck's experiences, thoughts, and emotions, such as his embarrassment in Mark Twain's 'Life on the Mississippi'. A third-person limited point of view focuses on just one character, whereas an omniscient narrator knows everything about all characters. The choice of a first-person narrator, for example, provides direct insights into the protagonist's thoughts but limits readers to one perspective, which might be biased. The third-person omniscient point of view allows readers to understand multiple characters' thoughts and motivations, which can result in a more comprehensive understanding of the plot and themes.
When analyzing 'A Lesson in Loss' by Elizabeth Mohn, you'd consider how the chosen point of view affects the reader's understanding of the story. If Elizabeth uses a first-person narrator, we would be privy to the narrator's internal experiences and potential biases. If the story is told from an omniscient viewpoint, we might gain a broader view but at the cost of intimacy with the characters. Text examples will vary depending on the actual content of the work, but the type of narrator profoundly impacts the depth of characterisation and the breadth of story comprehension.