Differentiate between the often confused author's point of view and the narrator's point of view. The narrator is the speaker or voice from which the story is told. This point of view is typically categorized as first-person or third person narration with omniscient or limited omniscient variations. The author's point of view, however, refers to the context in which the literary work was written; this point of view is outside of the work itself as it refers to the actual writer of the work.
Assign the students a research-based short paper detailing the context in which the studied work was written and exploring the questions, "Why do you think the writer wrote this story? What environmental factors contributed to the qualities of this story?" The assignment should also require students to research biographical information about the author such as their birthplace, education level, romantic life, political and religious beliefs and the places they visited in their lifetime.
Host a classroom discussion on the students' responses after the papers are due. Write their core responses on the board and have the students note them down.
Guide the students to the best conclusions about the author's point of view by asking them which of the responses rings the most true. Don't hesitate to offer your own perspective after the students have given theirs.
Create test essay questions pertinent to determining the students' understanding of the author's point of view. Example questions: "How does the time in which this work was written affect the story? How does the story resonate or not resonate with the themes of today?" or "What events occurred in the author's life that may have played a part in the creation of this work?"