Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumNarrative Technique and Point of View

Read the following excerpt from a prose text:

"As Chief Nanga stood before the cheering crowd, smoothing the folds of his expensive agbada, I knew he had already calculated the exact monetary value of every vote in the hall. He smiled warmly, presenting the image of a selfless benefactor, yet my heart sank at how effortlessly the villagers accepted his grand promises."

Which narrative point of view is employed in the passage above, and what is its primary effect on the characterization of Chief Nanga?

  1. First-person point of view, which provides a subjective and personal perspective that reveals Chief Nanga's deceit behind his public persona.Answer
  2. B
    Third-person omniscient point of view, which gives an all-knowing and unbiased account of both Chief Nanga's and the villagers' inner thoughts.
  3. C
    Third-person limited point of view, which presents an objective report of Chief Nanga's physical actions without expressing personal feelings.
  4. D
    Second-person point of view, which directly addresses the audience to make the reader feel complicit in Chief Nanga's actions.

Answer

First-person point of view, which provides a subjective and personal perspective that reveals Chief Nanga's deceit behind his public persona.
The correct answer identifies the narrative perspective as first-person through the use of first-person pronouns like 'I' and 'my'. This technique allows the narrator to share a subjective viewpoint, highlighting Chief Nanga's political hypocrisy by revealing the gap between his charming public behavior and his underlying manipulative intent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the narrative perspective by looking at the pronouns used by the narrator.
The presence of pronouns such as 'I' ('I knew') and 'my' ('my heart sank') confirms a first-person point of view.
First-person narration is characterized by the narrator participating in or observing events directly using first-person pronouns.
2
Analyze the impact of this narrative choice on character portrayal.
The narrator offers personal insight into Chief Nanga's hypocritical nature, contrasting his outgoing public presentation with private calculation.
A first-person narrator allows the author to convey internal judgments and subjective evaluations of other characters.

Key Concept

First-person point of view and its subjective impact on characterization
Rate this question

Topics

Narrative Technique and Point of View

More questions from this topic