Writing Advice: What is Focalization?

Some say that focalization is the same thing as point of view. But it’s actually more subtle.

Third-person limited is a really good perspective for explaining how focalization works. Harry Potter is a classic example of third-person limited, where the world of witches and wizards is presented to us through Harry. But, we also see the other characters strictly from his perspective. This means that the audience is ignorant about the true intentions of Snape, Dumbledore, and the other adult characters.