Perspective and point of view: Accounting for subjectivity

This article sorts out the main uses of the terms 'point of view', 'viewpoint', 'perspective', and 'subjectivity'. I distinguish two main uses: expressions of communication, content of mind, and evaluation, which convey point of view; and expressions of perception and perspective, which convey perspective. The basis for the distinction is the linguistic forms and the interpretations which they license. Often more than one form is involved. I suggest that linguistic analyses of these phenomena require a 'composite approach' which recognizes that several linguistic forms must be recognized in the expression of subjectivity. The framework of Discourse Representation Theory allows this approach. I give the outlines of a composite analysis in this framework and propose rules for interpreting indirect speech.