In the process of perfecting oral performances of selected scenes from Eudora Welty's "The Optimist's Daughter," it is important to study point of view and character as they pertain to the play. Four aspects should be considered to understand the point of view: (1) the character's story, (2) the position from which the narrator speaks, (3) the channels used to convey information, and (4) the distance at which the narrator places the reader. In "The Optimist's Daughter," the narrator is omniscient concerning the character of Laurel, and her position is that of an onlooker. Because the narrator explores Laurel's thoughts and feelings, the reader is near Laurel, the story, and the narrator. Among the criteria to be considered in character analysis are physical, social, and dispositional characteristics. Readers analyzing the characters of Laurel and Fay, her stepmother, discover many differences in their characters, including being opposite in physical appearance, social background, and personality. Because Eudora Welty has vividly portrayed the characters in the play and has clearly presented the story from Laurel's point of view, an examination of character and point of view can give performers a foundation on which to build a satisfying presentation of "The Optimist's Daughter." (DF)