Question
no one pushing it. It was a cart just like all the others, made of thick wire, with four little rubber wheels (the front pair slightly closer together, which is what gives the vehicle its characteristic shape), and a bar coated with bright red plastic for steering it around. There was nothing to distinguish it from the two hundred other carts that belonged to that enormous supermarket, the biggest and busiest in the neighborhood. Except that the cart I'm referring to was the only one that moved on its own. It did this with infinite discretion: in the tumult that reigned on the premises from opening to closing time, to say nothing of the peak hours, its movement went unnoticed. It was used like all the other carts, filled with food, drink, and cleaning products, unloaded at the cash registers, pushed hurriedly from one aisle to the next, and if the shoppers let it go and saw it roll a fraction of an inch, they assumed that it was being carried along by momentum.
The wonder was only perceptible at night, when the frenzy gave way to an uncanny calm, but there was no one to admire it. Very occasionally, the shelf-stackers starting work at dawn would be surprised to find the cart astray down at the back, next to the deep-freeze cabinets, or between the dark shelves of wine.
They naturally assumed that it had been left there by mistake the previous night.
In such a large and labyrinthine establishment, oversights like that were only to be expected. if the cart was moving when they found it, and if they noticed the movement, which was as inconspicuous as the sweep of a watch's minute hand, they presumed that it must have been the result of a slope in the floor or a draft of air. She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from a higher station, since with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth. Natural ingenuity, instinct for what is elegant, a supple mind are their sole hierarchy, and often make of women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies.
Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry. The sight of the little Breton peasant who did her humble housework aroused in her despairing regrets and bewildering dreams. She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches who sleep in the big armchairs, made drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove. She thought of long reception halls hung with ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets containing priceless curiosities and of the little coquettish perfumed reception rooms made for chatting at five o'clock with intimate friends, with men famous and sought after, whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire.
When she sat down to dinner, before the round table covered with a tablecloth in use three days, opposite her husband, who uncovered the soup tureen and declared with a delighted air, "Ah, the good soup! I don't know anything better than that," she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry that peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fairy forest; and she thought of delicious dishes served on marvellous plates and of the whispered gallantries to which you listen with a sphinxlike smile while you are eating the pink meat of a trout or the wings of a quail.
She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be..In two or more sentences, compare the perspectives used in these passages, and analyze how they affect the reader's understanding of the story.
(2 points)
The wonder was only perceptible at night, when the frenzy gave way to an uncanny calm, but there was no one to admire it. Very occasionally, the shelf-stackers starting work at dawn would be surprised to find the cart astray down at the back, next to the deep-freeze cabinets, or between the dark shelves of wine.
They naturally assumed that it had been left there by mistake the previous night.
In such a large and labyrinthine establishment, oversights like that were only to be expected. if the cart was moving when they found it, and if they noticed the movement, which was as inconspicuous as the sweep of a watch's minute hand, they presumed that it must have been the result of a slope in the floor or a draft of air. She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from a higher station, since with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth. Natural ingenuity, instinct for what is elegant, a supple mind are their sole hierarchy, and often make of women of the people the equals of the very greatest ladies.
Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry. The sight of the little Breton peasant who did her humble housework aroused in her despairing regrets and bewildering dreams. She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches who sleep in the big armchairs, made drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove. She thought of long reception halls hung with ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets containing priceless curiosities and of the little coquettish perfumed reception rooms made for chatting at five o'clock with intimate friends, with men famous and sought after, whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire.
When she sat down to dinner, before the round table covered with a tablecloth in use three days, opposite her husband, who uncovered the soup tureen and declared with a delighted air, "Ah, the good soup! I don't know anything better than that," she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry that peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fairy forest; and she thought of delicious dishes served on marvellous plates and of the whispered gallantries to which you listen with a sphinxlike smile while you are eating the pink meat of a trout or the wings of a quail.
She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be..In two or more sentences, compare the perspectives used in these passages, and analyze how they affect the reader's understanding of the story.
(2 points)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The first passage employs a third-person objective perspective, focusing on an autonomous shopping cart in a supermarket and conveying its unnoticed movements. This perspective creates a sense of calm and intrigue, highlighting how something extraordinary can exist within the mundane chaos of everyday life, allowing the reader to ponder the cart’s unusual nature without emotional attachment. In contrast, the second passage uses a third-person limited perspective centered on the character of Mathilde, revealing her inner thoughts and feelings about her discontent with her social status and material limitations. This perspective enhances the emotional depth of the narrative, inviting readers to empathize with Mathilde’s aspirations and dissatisfaction. Together, these perspectives shape the reader's experience by juxtaposing the ordinary and extraordinary while emphasizing the personal struggles of a character yearning for a life of luxury and acceptance.