Question

ead the following passage. Then, answer the questions.
After school, I met up with Felix and a few other friends at the skate park. Felix is my best
friend, and we have both been trying to learn this new skateboarding trick for a few weeks.
Anyway, last night, as I was skating home from Felix’s house, I finally pulled off the trick! I was
sure that Felix would be happy for me, so I thought about texting him that night to tell him. But
then I thought that it would be more fun to just show him the next day.
So, today, I rolled up at the skate park and said, “Hey Felix, check this out.” I tried and landed
the trick on the first try. He nodded without smiling or showing excitement and said, “Nice, Josh.
You nailed it.” Felix has always been a quiet person who doesn’t show much emotion, so I have
always had trouble reading him—whether he is happy or sad or excited or whatever. This time
was no different. I had no idea if he was excited for me or was maybe a little jealous that I got the
trick before he did. Or maybe he thought I was trying to show off? I wasn’t sure if I should ask him
about it.
1. From which point of view is the passage told? How can you tell?
2. Is the narrator a character in the passage? How can you tell?
3. How does the passage’s point of view affect what readers know about the characters’
thoughts and feelings?
4. From which point of view would the story need to be written for readers to know Felix’s
thoughts and feelings? Explain.
5. How does the narrative point of view used in this passage help readers identify with the
narrator and the potential conflict he faces?

Answer 1

1. First-person point of view. The narrator uses "I," "me," and "my" throughout (for example, "After school, I met up..." and "I finally pulled off the trick!"), so the story is told from the narrator’s own perspective.

2. Yes. The narrator is a character in the passage. He describes his own actions and experiences (e.g., skating home from Felix’s house, deciding whether to text, landing the trick), and Felix even addresses him directly (“Nice, Josh”), which identifies the narrator as Josh.

3. The first-person, limited point of view means readers get full access to the narrator’s thoughts and feelings (pride, uncertainty, wondering whether Felix is jealous or thinks he’s showing off) but not to Felix’s inner life. We see Felix only through the narrator’s observations (nod, neutral words), so readers share the narrator’s uncertainty about what Felix is really feeling.

4. To know Felix’s thoughts and feelings, the story would need to be written either from Felix’s point of view (first-person Felix narrator) or in a third-person omniscient voice that can report the inner thoughts of multiple characters. Third-person limited focused on Felix would also work; the key is a perspective that gives direct access to Felix’s internal state.

5. The first-person narration helps readers identify with the narrator because it puts them inside his head—his excitement, his expectations, and his confusion when Felix responds flatly. The limited knowledge creates emotional immediacy and tension: readers experience the same ambiguity and social worry the narrator feels, which makes the small conflict (did he offend Felix? is Felix jealous?) feel personal and relatable.