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Difficulty: MediumAuthor's Purpose and Point of View

Read the following excerpt from the English translation of the short story "You Don't Hear the Dogs Barking" ("No oyes ladrar los perros") by the Mexican writer Juan Rulfo:

"You who are up there, Ignacio, tell me if you can hear anything or see any light anywhere."
"I don't see anything."
"We must be getting close."
"Yes, but I don't hear anything."
"Look carefully."
"I don't see anything."
"Poor you, Ignacio."

The shadow of the long, dark figure of the men moved up and down, climbing over rocks, diminishing and growing as it crossed the edge of the stream. It was a single, staggering shadow. The moon rose from the earth like a round, red flare.

"We should be arriving at that town, Ignacio. You, with your ears uncovered, try to hear if dogs are barking. Remember they told us Tonaya was just beyond the mountain, and we crossed the mountain hours ago. Remember, Ignacio?"
"Yes, but I don't see any sign of it."
"I am getting tired."
"Put me down."

The father spoke in a low voice. He walked slowly, his body bent forward, under the heavy weight of his son, whose hands were locked around his neck, and whose feet clung to his waist.

Which of the following best describes how the author uses point of view and narrative focus in this passage to develop the characters' relationship?

  1. A
    By focusing on Ignacio's dialogue, the author reveals that the son refuses to help locate the town because he actively wishes to sabotage their journey.
  2. B
    By adopting an ominous and fearful narrative tone, the author seeks to condemn the father's decision to carry his son through the dangerous mountains.
  3. By using a third-person narrative that emphasizes the father's grueling physical effort alongside their sparse dialogue, the author highlights the painful contrast between their physical connection and their emotional estrangement.Answer
  4. D
    By describing the 'single, staggering shadow' crossing the stream, the author indicates that a literal third entity is following the characters.

Answer

The correct answer is that the author uses a third-person narrative focusing on the father's intense physical effort and the characters' sparse dialogue to emphasize the contrast between their physical closeness and their emotional distance.
The author uses a third-person narrator who monitors the father's mechanical, exhausting movements while reporting the sparse and emotionally strained dialogue between the two. This point of view emphasizes that, although they are physically tied together as one unit (forming a 'single, staggering shadow'), they remain profoundly alienated from one another.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the narrative point of view and the relationship between the two characters in the passage.
The passage uses a third-person narrator who describes the father's grueling physical efforts and includes sparse dialogue between the father and son.
To identify how the author structures the narrative perspective to depict the characters' dynamic.
2
Evaluate the dialogue and physical details to determine the emotional state of the father and son.
The father is physically carrying the son, but their interaction is strained, highlighting an emotional distance despite their extreme physical closeness.
To connect the narrative details to the thematic elements of estrangement and duty.
3
Compare the findings with the provided options to select the one that accurately describes this relationship.
The correct option correctly states that the third-person narrative highlights the contrast between their physical connection and their emotional estrangement.
To finalize the answer based on textual analysis.

Key Concept

Author's Purpose and Point of View
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Author's Purpose and Point of View

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