In this passage from "All Good Things Are Surprises,” the narrator describes a visit from his grandmother. As you read, consider the limitations of the story’s point of view.

The evening Ida arrived, I made sure to wake her up in the middle of the night so she could give me a midnight snack, a ritual she wouldn’t have wanted me to skip.
How does the limited point of view create humor in this passage?

We know that the narrator probably is lying about waking up his grandmother.

We know that the narrator’s grandmother probably would prefer not to be awakened in the middle of the night.

We know that the narrator’s grandmother doesn’t really love her grandson very much.

We know that the narrator’s grandmother will become angry with him eventually.

1 answer

The limited point of view creates humor in this passage primarily because we know that the narrator’s grandmother probably would prefer not to be awakened in the middle of the night. The humor arises from the contrast between the narrator's expectation that his grandmother would eagerly participate in this midnight snack ritual and the likely reality that she would be displeased by being disturbed at such an hour. This discrepancy highlights the narrator's naive perspective and adds a comical element to the situation, as readers can anticipate the grandmother's reaction based on their understanding of typical grandmotherly behavior.