Making New Friends

Question

This is a draft of a student's narrative essay.

Miriam waved goodbye to her parents and turned away, trying hard not to cry as she dragged her heavy suitcase behind her and walked toward the building. As soon as she reached her room, she shut the door and leaned against it, already missing her parents and her little brother, Eliot.
What if no one likes me here, Miriam was thinking, when suddenly, she heard noises coming from the hallway. It sounded as though someone was dragging suitcases across the floor, and as Miriam listened, she heard two voices talking.
"I think Room 22 is the one on the right. Jada, hold on to my bag and I'll open the door."
"Hurry up, Liz; all this stuff is so heavy!"
I guess those girls are going to live next door to me, Miriam said to herself. She wanted to open the door and greet them, but she hesitated, as she felt anxious about making a bad first impression. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, thinking back to the conversation she had with her mother just the previous night.
"Miriam, you are a smart, kind girl, and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend," her mother had said. "But honey, you will have to make an effort to get to know people too, so just be confident, be yourself, and go say hi when you meet someone new."
Thinking about her mother's advice comforted her and filled her with confidence. Miriam stepped out into the hallway and knocked on the door opposite her own, and when one of the girls opened the door, Miriam said, "Hi, I'm Miriam and I live right next door. I heard you guys move in so I thought I'd check if you needed any help."
The girl beamed at Miriam and said, "I'm Elizabeth and this is my friend, Jada. It's so nice to meet you, Miriam. Come in, we were just about to order pizza. Would you like to eat with us?"
Miriam smiled and nodded. Now that wasn't too hard, she thought to herself, and felt happy to have made new friends

Which narrative technique does the author use to show how Miriam overcomes her anxiety about making new friends?
A.
pacing
B.
imagery
C.
foreshadowing
D.
flashback

Answer 1

B. imagery

The author uses imagery to describe Miriam's emotions and actions, such as how she shut the door and leaned against it feeling anxious, or how she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping out into the hallway. These vivid descriptions help convey Miriam's feelings of anxiety and then confidence as she approaches the new girls next door.