Question
The Devoted Friend
by Oscar Wilde
This passage tells the story of a rodent named Water-rat who lacks close personal connections. Water-rat’s conversation with a duck and a bird centers around the true meaning of friendship.
As you read, pay attention to who is telling the story.
One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long bit of black rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the pond, and their mother, who was pure white with red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water.
“You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads,” she kept saying to them. Every now and then she showed them how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They were so young that they did not know what an advantage it is to be in society at all.
“What disobedient children!” cried the old Water-rat.
“Nothing of the kind,” answered the Duck, “every one must make a beginning. Parents cannot be too patient.”
“Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents,” said the Water-rat; “I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been married, and I never intend to be. Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.”
“And what is your idea of the duties of a devoted friend?” asked a Bird, who was sitting in a willow-tree and had overheard the conversation.
“Yes, that is just what I want to know,” said the Duck.
“What a silly question!” cried the Water-rat. “I should expect my devoted friend to be devoted to me, of course.”
“And what would you do in return?” said the little bird flapping his tiny wings.
“I don’t understand you,” answered the Water-rat.
“Let me tell you a story on the subject,” said the Bird.
“Is the story about me?” asked the Water-rat. “If so, I will listen to it”
“It is applicable to you,” answered the Bird; and he flew down and told the story of The Devoted Friend.
“Once upon a time,” said the Bird, “there was an honest little fellow named Hans.”
“Was he very famous and well respected?” asked the Water Rat.
“No,” answered the Bird, “I don’t think he was very famous at all, except for his kind heart and his good-humored face.”
___
Adapted from “The Devoted Friend,” by Oscar Wilde, Public domain.
please chose the correct answer
Which of the following statements accurately describes the narrator’s perspective and how it is developed?
The narrator is first person from the point of view of the Water-rat, which is how the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions.
The narrator is third person but limited to the perspective of the Water-rat, which is how the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions.
The narrator is third person and has no clear perspective, so the reader must guess at the Water-rat’s opinions.
The narrator is third person and has no clear perspective, so the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions through dialogue.
by Oscar Wilde
This passage tells the story of a rodent named Water-rat who lacks close personal connections. Water-rat’s conversation with a duck and a bird centers around the true meaning of friendship.
As you read, pay attention to who is telling the story.
One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long bit of black rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the pond, and their mother, who was pure white with red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water.
“You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads,” she kept saying to them. Every now and then she showed them how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They were so young that they did not know what an advantage it is to be in society at all.
“What disobedient children!” cried the old Water-rat.
“Nothing of the kind,” answered the Duck, “every one must make a beginning. Parents cannot be too patient.”
“Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents,” said the Water-rat; “I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been married, and I never intend to be. Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.”
“And what is your idea of the duties of a devoted friend?” asked a Bird, who was sitting in a willow-tree and had overheard the conversation.
“Yes, that is just what I want to know,” said the Duck.
“What a silly question!” cried the Water-rat. “I should expect my devoted friend to be devoted to me, of course.”
“And what would you do in return?” said the little bird flapping his tiny wings.
“I don’t understand you,” answered the Water-rat.
“Let me tell you a story on the subject,” said the Bird.
“Is the story about me?” asked the Water-rat. “If so, I will listen to it”
“It is applicable to you,” answered the Bird; and he flew down and told the story of The Devoted Friend.
“Once upon a time,” said the Bird, “there was an honest little fellow named Hans.”
“Was he very famous and well respected?” asked the Water Rat.
“No,” answered the Bird, “I don’t think he was very famous at all, except for his kind heart and his good-humored face.”
___
Adapted from “The Devoted Friend,” by Oscar Wilde, Public domain.
please chose the correct answer
Which of the following statements accurately describes the narrator’s perspective and how it is developed?
The narrator is first person from the point of view of the Water-rat, which is how the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions.
The narrator is third person but limited to the perspective of the Water-rat, which is how the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions.
The narrator is third person and has no clear perspective, so the reader must guess at the Water-rat’s opinions.
The narrator is third person and has no clear perspective, so the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions through dialogue.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is:
**The narrator is third person but limited to the perspective of the Water-rat, which is how the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions.**
This choice accurately describes the narrative style of the excerpt, as it is primarily third-person but conveys the Water-rat's thoughts and opinions through his dialogue and interactions with other characters.
**The narrator is third person but limited to the perspective of the Water-rat, which is how the reader knows the Water-rat’s opinions.**
This choice accurately describes the narrative style of the excerpt, as it is primarily third-person but conveys the Water-rat's thoughts and opinions through his dialogue and interactions with other characters.