by Juan Pablo Villalobos
After the night came down, I felt scared and sad, I felt so far away from my family, from my little brothers and my mom, and I felt bad for my dad, who is an alcoholic. He can’t really take care of us. There are snakes there, too, in my dad’s head. I couldn’t sleep because I was worried. I had to stay alert to see if there was any chance of crossing and, besides, there were lots of sounds out in the desert, things crawling along that I thought were the snakes, those snakes that come and sting you with their poison if you fall asleep. And there were coyotes, too. We could see them in the distance, and they didn’t come any closer, but some people said that if we listened we’d be able to hear them howling.
“There are Snakes Out There” from THE OTHER SIDE: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border by Juan Pablo Villalobos. Copyright © 2019 by Juan Pablo Villalobos Alva. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books For Young Readers. All Rights Reserved.
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
How does the first-person perspective used in this passage help draw the reader into the plot?
(1 point)
Responses
It reveals details about the main character’s father and other family members.
It reveals details about the main character’s father and other family members.
It gives them a clear and detailed view of the desert setting of the passage.
It gives them a clear and detailed view of the desert setting of the passage.
It helps the reader understand the dynamics of the family members’ relationships.
It helps the reader understand the dynamics of the family members’ relationships.
It makes them feel the same pain, fear, and uncertainty that the narrator does.
It makes them feel the same pain, fear, and uncertainty that the narrator does.
1 answer
The best response is:
It makes them feel the same pain, fear, and uncertainty that the narrator does.
This choice effectively highlights how the first-person perspective immerses the reader in the emotional experience of the narrator, allowing them to connect with the character's feelings of fear and vulnerability in a difficult situation.
