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Difficulty: MediumAuthor's Purpose and Point of View

Read the following excerpt from the English translation of 'The Night Face Up' ('La noche boca arriba') by the Argentine writer Julio Cortázar, published in 1956:

'And it was unusual because the dream was full of smells and he never dreamed of smells. First, a swampy smell, since to the left of the path the swamps began, the quagmires from which no one returned. But the smell ceased, and instead a dark, fresh fragrance of night yielded, under the trees, to the smell of wild flowers. It was a smell of war, he thought, instinctively correcting his path. Everything was so natural, he had to flee the Aztecs who were on the hunt for men. His war was the war of the blossom, and his name was that of the victim.

He felt his throat constrict; he wanted to run, but the forest was thick and dark. Suddenly, he heard the sound of branches snapping. He crouched, motionless, holding his breath. The smell of damp earth and rotting leaves filled his senses. He knew that if he moved, the dry twigs under his feet would betray him. In the distance, a torch flared, casting long, menacing shadows through the trees. He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, he would be back in the hospital bed, under the clean white sheets, smelling the familiar scent of antiseptic. But when he opened his eyes, the darkness of the jungle remained, heavier and more suffocating than before. He realized then that the hospital was the dream, and this—the fear, the dampness, the impending sacrifice—was his absolute reality.'

Based on this excerpt, how does the shifting point of view serve the author's purpose in developing the protagonist's realization of his reality?

  1. To create a sense of psychological disorientation that mirrors the protagonist's struggle to distinguish between dream and reality, ultimately heightening the dread of his inevitable fate.Answer
  2. B
    To critique the historical brutality of the Aztec sacrificial rituals by providing an objective, historical account of the war of the blossom.
  3. C
    To establish the hospital setting as a safe refuge that represents the protagonist's primary and concrete reality.
  4. D
    To highlight the protagonist's physical recovery in the hospital through a chronological flashback to his childhood adventures in the jungle.

Answer

To create a sense of psychological disorientation that mirrors the protagonist's struggle to distinguish between dream and reality, ultimately heightening the dread of his inevitable fate.
The author uses the shifting perspective to create a disorienting, dream-like environment for both the protagonist and the reader. By alternating between the comfort of the hospital and the terror of the Aztec hunt, the narrative mirrors the protagonist's psychological confusion. The final revelation that the terrifying jungle is his true reality heightens the reader's sense of dread and highlights the theme of inescapable fate.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the shifting point of view and settings within the passage.
The protagonist shifts between a hospital bed and a dark jungle where he is being hunted by Aztecs.
To identify how the author structures the narrative perspective.
2
Examine the protagonist's sensory details and realization at the end of the passage.
The protagonist notes that the smell of the jungle, the fear, and the dampness are his absolute reality, while the hospital was the dream.
To determine how the point of view shifts are used to highlight the protagonist's transition from confusion to sudden, dread-filled understanding.
3
Match the narrative structure's effect with the author's purpose.
The alternating perspective creates a disorienting effect that mirrors the protagonist's psychological state and heightens the dread of his final fate.
To select the option that accurately reflects the purpose of this literary technique.

Key Concept

Analyzing author's purpose and point of view in literary texts
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Topics

Author's Purpose and Point of View

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