Read the excerpt below:
"From my small stool near the kitchen hearth, I watched Father pace back and forth across the parlour. His shadow stretched long across the whitewashed wall, though I knew he was merely frightened about the failed harvest. He spoke to no one, but every heavy sigh he gave felt like a sentence passed on us all."
Which narrative point of view is employed in the passage above, and what is its primary effect on the text?
- First-person peripheral point of view, which presents events through the filtered observation of a narrator within the story worldAnswer
- BThird-person limited point of view, which directly articulates the hidden internal monologue of the father
- CFirst-person omniscient point of view, which reveals the father's exact thoughts with complete authority
- DSecond-person point of view, which directly addresses the reader to create a tense mood
Answer
The passage employs a first-person peripheral narrative perspective, in which a character narrator uses first-person pronouns ("I", "my") to observe and report the actions and mood of another character.
The correct answer identifies the first-person peripheral perspective because the speaker uses first-person pronouns ("I", "my") to narrate events while acting as an observer watching the central figure, Father. The narrator interprets Father's state of mind through visible behavior (pacing, heavy sighs) rather than direct mental intrusion.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
First-person peripheral perspective and narrative focalization