Question

Difficulty: MediumNarrative Point of View and Perspective

Identify and match the narrative point of view employed in each of the prose passages below with its correct literary classification.

  • Extract 1: "We gathered under the ancient iroko tree at dusk, listening to grandfather's tales while our hands worked silently on the yam peelings."First-person plural narrative perspective
  • Extract 2: "Tunde stared at the sealed envelope on his desk, his heart pounding with dread, completely unaware that across town, Bisi was already celebrating her promotion."Third-person limited narrative perspective
  • Extract 3: "You walk into the dimly lit hallway, feeling the damp air against your cheeks as you search for the hidden key."Second-person narrative perspective
  • Extract 4: "Amaka wondered if she had made the right decision, while across the counter, Mr. Okafor secretly wished he could offer her the job right then, though both maintained a formal silence."Third-person omniscient narrative perspective

Answer

Extract 1 matches First-person plural narrative perspective; Extract 2 matches Third-person limited narrative perspective; Extract 3 matches Second-person narrative perspective; Extract 4 matches Third-person omniscient narrative perspective.
Each extract is correctly matched by examining pronoun usage and the depth of narrative omniscience. Extract 1 uses first-person plural pronouns ('we', 'our'); Extract 2 restricts perception strictly to Tunde's knowledge; Extract 3 employs second-person address ('you'); and Extract 4 discloses the simultaneous private thoughts of both Amaka and Mr. Okafor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze grammatical pronouns and narrator position in each extract.
Extract 1 uses plural first-person pronouns ('we'/'our'), while Extract 3 uses direct second-person address ('you').
Grammatical pronouns establish the baseline narrative angle.
2
Examine the scope of narrative access in third-person passages.
Extract 2 tracks only Tunde's perspective and emphasizes his ignorance of outside actions, whereas Extract 4 reveals simultaneous thoughts of two separate characters.
Differentiating between single-character focalization and multi-character awareness distinguishes limited from omniscient third-person perspective.
3
Pair each extract with its corresponding point of view classification.
All extracts are correctly matched to their defined narrative techniques.
Ensures precise structural alignment between excerpt characteristics and literary terminology.

Key Concept

Narrative Point of View and Perspective
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