from Life on the Mississippi

Question

When we presently got under way and went poking down the broad Ohio, I became a new being, and the subject of my own admiration. I was a traveller! A word never had tasted so good in my mouth before. I had an exultant sense of being bound for mysterious lands and distant climes which I never have felt in so uplifting a degree since. I was in such a glorified condition that all ignoble feelings departed out of me, and I was able to look down and pity the untravelled with a compassion that had hardly a trace of contempt in it. Still, when we stopped at villages and wood-yards, I could not help lolling carelessly upon the railings of the boiler deck to enjoy the envy of the country boys on the bank. If they did not seem to discover me, I presently sneezed to attract their attention, or moved to a position where they could not help seeing me. And as soon as I knew they saw me I gaped and stretched, and gave other signs of being mightily bored with travelling.

Which statement best describes the author's point of view about his younger self in this passage?

1. He wishes his younger self had taken a greater interest in travel.

2. He thinks travel led his younger self to develop a sense of curiosity.

3. He marvels at the accomplishments and maturity of his younger self.

4. He finds the thoughts and behavior of his younger self to be amusing.

How does the author develop the correctly stated point of view from Part A?

1. by telling about the steamboat getting "under way"

2. by telling about the "mysterious lands" he planned to visit

3. by telling about an unfamiliar but uplifting "glorified condition"

4. by telling about acting "mightily bored" for a group of country boys

Answer 1

The statement that best describes the author's point of view about his younger self in this passage is:

4. He finds the thoughts and behavior of his younger self to be amusing.

The author’s playful and somewhat self-aware portrayal of his younger self's behavior—sneezing to gain attention, stretching and pretending to be bored—indicates a sense of humor and fondness for those antics. He appears to look back with amusement at the lengths he went to exhibit his superiority over the "untravelled" country boys.

The way the author develops this point of view is:

4. by telling about acting "mightily bored" for a group of country boys.

This action reveals his desire for attention and his enjoyment in being perceived as a more experienced traveler, underscoring the humorous aspect of his behavior and illustrating how he finds amusement in his younger self's antics.