Question

Read the excerpt from Sunil's personal narrative.

When I first came to the United States from India, I was frustrated by the assumptions people made about me and my culture. People often think that because I'm from India, I am a Hindu. I'm actually Malayali, from Kerala, and I'm Muslim. And the day that a girl at school asked me if it felt weird not living in a longhouse anymore really took the cake. India is known for a lot of different architectural styles, and a longhouse isn't one of them! But the misunderstandings about who I am and where I am from are only the tip of the iceberg. As a person of color, I've been called a lot of names here by people on the street, in the grocery store, in school—practically everywhere—and their underlying message is this: You have no right to feel safe here.

What function does this paragraph serve in the narrative?

It is a flashback to Sunil's experiences in India.
It is an exposition of Sunil's background and the introduction to a conflict.
It is a description of the action following Sunil's solution to a conflict.
It is a reflection on the solution to Sunil's conflict.

Answer 1

It is an exposition of Sunil's background and the introduction to a conflict.

Explanation: The paragraph gives personal background (Malayali Muslim from Kerala) and introduces the central conflict—misunderstanding, stereotyping, and harassment he faces in the U.S.—rather than recounting a flashback, describing action after a solution, or reflecting on a solution.