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Difficulty: MediumNarrative Techniques and Point of View

Read the prose excerpt below carefully:

"The train whistled, a long piercing sound that rattled the rusted window frames of the carriage. Bisi buried her head in her hands, her heart pounding against her ribs. What if Uncle Tayo was not at the station to meet her? What if the letter had never reached Ibadan? Thoughts cascaded rapidly through her mind—the dusty roads, her mother's tearful farewell, the strange faces staring from across the aisle—all blurring into a single knot of anxiety."

Which narrative point of view is used in the excerpt above?

  1. A
    First-person protagonist perspective
  2. Third-person limited perspectiveAnswer
  3. C
    Third-person omniscient perspective
  4. D
    Second-person narrative perspective

Answer

The third-person limited perspective is used in the excerpt.
The correct answer is third-person limited perspective because the story is told from an external vantage point using third-person pronouns ('she', 'her'), while confining the narrative's psychological insight strictly to the mind, feelings, and internal questions of one character (Bisi).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the pronouns used by the narrator
The excerpt uses third-person pronouns ('she', 'her', 'her mind').
Determines whether the narrative stance is first-person ('I'), second-person ('you'), or third-person ('he/she/they').
2
Examine the scope of the narrator's access to characters' thoughts
The narrator reveals the internal anxieties, memory fragments, and questions of Bisi alone, without providing access to any other character's mind.
Distinguishes between third-person omniscient (all-knowing across multiple characters) and third-person limited (restricted to one character's perspective).

Key Concept

Third-person limited point of view
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Topics

Narrative Techniques and Point of View

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