Question

What is MOST LIKELY the author’s purpose in the passage below?

Our master was a good, kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging, and kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children. We were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw him at the gate she would neigh with joy, and trot up to him. He would pat and stroke her and say, "Well, old Pet, and how is your little Darkie?" I was a dull black, so he called me Darkie; then he would give me a piece of bread, and sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother. All the horses would come to him, but I think we were his favorites.

to show how someone feels in a situation

to express an idea or insight about life

to give an opinion about a social issue

to represent a unique point of view

Answer 1

To show how someone feels in a situation.

The narrator (an animal) describes fondness and gratitude toward the master—“We were all fond of him,” the mother neighing with joy, the pet names and gifts—so the passage’s main purpose is to convey feelings.