Read the prose extract below:
"Mazi Ndukwe sat rigidly by the hearth, his hands resting on his wooden walking stick. When his nephew spoke of surrendering the disputed ancestral farmland to avoid further litigation, Ndukwe did not shout as he would have done ten years ago. Instead, he stared silently into the dying embers, his knuckles turning white around the polished wood, before whispering, 'A river that forgets its source dries up from the roots.' Later that evening, he was seen quietly re-aligning the boundary stones under the cover of dusk."
Which technique of characterization is predominantly used to demonstrate that Mazi Ndukwe is a round and dynamic character?
- Contrasting his restrained verbal response with subtle physical reactions and covert action to reveal internal complexity and strategic persistence.Answer
- BUsing direct narrative exposition to explicitly label him as an unchanging, flat archetype of traditional stubbornness.
- CEmploying a first-person narrator to give the reader direct access to his private internal stream of consciousness.
- DRelying on a foil character to deliver a dramatic monologue that exposes his moral defeat and failure to adapt.
Answer
Contrasting his restrained verbal response with subtle physical reactions and covert action to reveal internal complexity and strategic persistence.
The author reveals Mazi Ndukwe's round and dynamic nature through indirect characterization—specifically by contrasting his past volatility ('did not shout as he would have done ten years ago') with present silent tension ('knuckles turning white'), enigmatic proverb usage, and nocturnal physical action. This multi-layered presentation demonstrates psychological depth and evolving strategy rather than static, flat behavior.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Indirect Characterization and Dynamic/Round Character Complexity