“Ordinarily, midwinter is a time of great feasting and game playing, but no winter in memory or in story was ever as bad for my people as this!”
How does the narrator’s perspective in this excerpt impact the story?
The first-person narrator describes how much she dislikes being a spiritual leader so the reader understands that she will retire soon.
The first-person narrator describes the spirits as deceitful and untrustworthy, so the reader knows that she distrusts the spirits’s message.
The third-person omniscient narrator foreshadows the story’s conflict by hinting at a potential upcoming battle between Sedna and the spirits.
The first-person narrator describes her fearful thoughts and feelings about the spirits’s message, so readers understand that the situation is grim.
11 answers
The correct interpretation is: The first-person narrator describes her fearful thoughts and feelings about the spirits’ message, so readers understand that the situation is grim.
This perspective provides a personal insight into the narrator’s emotional state, allowing readers to feel the weight of her fears and the severity of the situation she is facing. By sharing her thoughts, the narrator creates a sense of urgency and dread, which impacts how readers perceive the overall conflict and tension in the story.
“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.”
How does the narrator’s perspective in this excerpt impact the story?
The third-person limited narrator describes the colt’s fondness for the master, so the readers think of him as a good and kind person.
The first-person narrator is suspicious of the master, which causes the reader to believe he is a deceitful and untrustworthy character.
The first-person narrator describes his dislike of the master, so readers characterize him as cruel and view him in a negative light.
The first-person narrator describes his fondness for the master and characterizes him as kind, so readers believe he is a good person.
The correct interpretation is: The first-person narrator describes his fondness for the master and characterizes him as kind, so readers believe he is a good person.
This perspective shapes the reader's perception of the master positively, as the affectionate description from the first-person narrator highlights the master's qualities and the overall fondness felt by those in his care. This creates a sense of trust and goodwill towards the master, influencing how readers engage with the story and its characters.
On the day I accidentally became a pirate, I climbed up the gangway and made my way below decks. Once in the ship’s hold, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I saw that the crew had laid in food stores and supplies, but no cargo. This struck me odd for a trading ship, but I thought no more of it as I found my place among the barrels and sacks.
I had boarded the Freedom with no plan or guarantee of prospects. I had never been to sea before, and so the hardships of sea life were new to me. I suffered terribly from seasickness once we left the harbor behind and sailed south upon the vast ocean. I found an oilcloth blanket to wrap myself in, but it was small comfort. Worse still, I could hear the chatter of rats as they raided the stores, and I could only hope that they would find whatever they pilfered more appetizing than me.
As the fourth day dawned, though in dread of my reception, I was about to reveal myself when I heard vicious cries and hard footfalls above deck. Musket fire and cannon bursts shook the ship. I feared that the ship had met with marauders. But when I listened more closely, I heard not cries of panic from the crew, but foul oaths and wild laughter. I soon guessed that the Freedom was no merchant ship. The captain and his crew were pirates, and the hold carried no cargo because they intended to fill it with another ship’s bounty!
I pitied those who had suffered at the hands of so merciless an attack and stayed well concealed as the crew lowered their plunder into the hold. As the last of the pirates ascended to the deck to join the raucous celebration, I peered from my hiding place.
A burning lamp had been left hanging from a beam, and by its glow I saw crates scattered carelessly across the floorboards and sacks that smelled wonderfully of cinnamon and spices. In the midst of the plunder was a grand chest covered in Turkish carvings, its heavy lock pried open and hanging loose.
Curious, I crept near and cautiously opened the lid a crack. Then, as I glimpsed what lay inside, I lifted it wide. The chest was filled with silver and diamonds, sea-blue sapphires, and rubies as big as robin’s eggs! Prismatic colors danced upon the walls as the gems reflected the light of the lantern swinging with the roll of the ship.
How does the narrator’s perspective impact the story?
The first-person narrator has an objective and neutral view of events, so the description of the pirate attack is detailed yet unbiased.
The first-person narrator characterizes his shipmates as crass and rude, so the reader feels negatively toward them.
The third-person limited narrator focuses on the captain’s thoughts, so readers know how he feels about being a pirate.
The first-person narrator describes only their own thoughts and feelings, so readers get a limited description of the pirate attack.
The correct interpretation is: The first-person narrator describes only their own thoughts and feelings, so readers get a limited description of the pirate attack.
This perspective allows readers to experience the events from the narrator's point of view, giving insight into his feelings of fear, curiosity, and dread. However, it also means that readers do not have access to the thoughts and emotions of other characters involved in the pirate attack, which creates a more limited understanding of the situation from the narrator’s isolated perspective. This choice highlights the narrator's personal journey and experiences while also contributing to the story’s sense of tension and intrigue.
“The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would civilize me. But it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn’t stand it no longer I lit out.”
How does the narrator’s perspective in this excerpt impact the story?
The narrator’s third-person limited perspective shows that Tom Sawyer dislikes the Widow Douglas, so the reader understands why the narrator runs away.
The narrator’s first-person perspective is limited, so the reader only knows the thoughts and feelings of Tom Sawyer and the Widow Douglas.
The narrator’s first-person perspective gives insight into their thoughts about living with the Widow Douglas, so the reader feels sympathetic toward them.
The narrator’s first-person perspective provides a neutral and unbiased description of their actions and words when living with the Widow Douglas.
The correct interpretation is: The narrator’s first-person perspective gives insight into their thoughts about living with the Widow Douglas, so the reader feels sympathetic toward them.
This perspective allows readers to see the narrator’s frustrations and feelings regarding his situation with the Widow Douglas. By expressing his struggles and discomfort with her attempts to "civilize" him, readers can empathize with his desire for freedom and adventure. This emotional insight shapes how the audience perceives both the narrator's character and his actions in the story.
This passage tells the story of two sparrows who have moved from England to the United States. The birds face challenges while adjusting to predators and harsh winters.
As you read, pay attention to how the narrator influences the way the story is told.
We are little English sparrows, just small little birds. We have been in America for two years since we were brought over by Mr. Wakefield’s gardener. He let us loose in the grove, and there we have been ever since.
Mr. Wakefield has built little houses for us, and put them on the boughs of the trees. We go into these tiny houses when it rains hard or blows. However, once the doors of our houses were all blocked up with snow.
Surprisingly, the winters here are much colder than in England, where we were born. More snow falls, and thicker ice forms here. But we like our new home very well.
Many young sparrows have been born to us. They think they are cleverer than their parents, because their parents, you see, are English. They’re full of pride, aren’t they?
There is a bird called the butcher-bird—a very savage bird—that wants to hunt us, so we have to look out for these butcher-birds. But they cannot get into our houses as the doors are too small for them. Ha!
Then, there is a little bird called the snowbird, that comes in winter, but we are not afraid of him. Instead, he is afraid of us.
One day, just as it had begun to snow, we thought we would fly over and make a call on Emily, a friend who feed us. She spotted us flying in from the window, and came outside. Her brother Philip came too. They gave us crumbs and seed.
By and by two saucy snowbirds came, and tried to get some of our seed! We flew at them and drove them off!
But Emily said, “You naughty sparrows! Let those snowbirds be! They are as good as you are, any day.”
Now, that was not kind of Emily. We know for sure we are better and handsomer than those tiny snowbirds! We were so much offended that we all flew away and left her with her precious snowbirds!
But the next day we were hungry, so we forgave her, and we gave her a visit. She was glad enough to see us. (And those jealous snowbirds kept out of the way.)
How would this story be different if it were told from Emily’s perspective?
The story would include detailed descriptions of Emily’s feelings about living in England with her brother, Philip.
The story would not include the sparrows’s thoughts, so the readers would not understand why they dislike the snowbirds.
The story would be told from a neutral perspective and describe all characters’ thoughts, feelings, and actions.
The story would be told from Mr. Wakefield’s perspective, so readers would understand why he brought sparrows to America.
The correct interpretation is: The story would not include the sparrows’ thoughts, so the readers would not understand why they dislike the snowbirds.
If the story were told from Emily’s perspective, it would primarily focus on her observations and feelings about the sparrows and their actions without providing insight into the inner thoughts of the sparrows themselves. This shift would eliminate the understanding readers gain from the sparrows' perspective about their pride and their feelings towards the snowbirds, thus altering the dynamics of the story and the readers' engagement with the sparrows' characterizations.
“When this happens I hear all the grownups in the room sigh and gasp.”
How does the narrator’s perspective in this excerpt impact the story?
The reader only knows the first-person narrator’s thoughts and feelings, so they do not know why the grownups react sadly to the television broadcast.
The narrator is observing events from a third-person omniscient perspective, so readers know how all characters feel about the television broadcast.
The narrator’s third-person limited perspective focuses on Cody and Max, so readers only know their thoughts and feelings about the television broadcast.
The first-person narrator has an objective and neutral view of events, so the description of the television broadcast is informative and unbiased.
The correct interpretation is: The reader only knows the first-person narrator’s thoughts and feelings, so they do not know why the grownups react sadly to the television broadcast.
This perspective emphasizes the personal viewpoint of the narrator, giving readers insight into their experience and reactions. However, it also means that readers do not have access to the thoughts or reasons behind the grownups' sighs and gasps, which might add layers of understanding to the situation. As a result, the readers are left without a complete understanding of the grownups' emotions regarding the broadcast.