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Difficulty: MediumNarrative Techniques and Point of View

Read the passage below carefully:

"The market women shrieked as the sudden storm broke, scattering dried fish and cassava flour across the mud. Chief Nnadi stood under the zinc eaves, calculating his losses with cold arithmetic while secretly fearing that his ancestors had finally abandoned him. Across the square, young Emeka watched the Chief's hands tremble, noticing what no one else did—that the village's most powerful man was terrified of the thunder."

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

  1. A
    First-person peripheral
  2. B
    Third-person limited
  3. Third-person omniscientAnswer
  4. D
    Third-person objective

Answer

Third-person omniscient
The correct answer is third-person omniscient because an all-knowing, non-participant narrator penetrates the internal emotional world of Chief Nnadi (his secret ancestral fears) and simultaneously reveals Emeka's private perception across the market square.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the pronouns used by the narrator
The text uses third-person pronouns ('he', 'his') rather than first-person pronouns ('I', 'my').
This establishes that the narrator is not a character speaking directly about themselves.
2
Examine the scope of the narrator's knowledge and internal character access
The narrator reveals Chief Nnadi's internal emotions ('secretly fearing that his ancestors had finally abandoned him') as well as Emeka's private observations ('noticing what no one else did').
Accessing the unexpressed thoughts and feelings of more than one character indicates an all-knowing perspective.
3
Synthesize the findings to determine the exact point of view
Because the third-person narrator has complete insight into multiple characters' minds, the point of view is third-person omniscient.
Omniscience is defined by this unrestricted internal access across character boundaries.

Key Concept

Narrative Point of View and Omniscience
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Narrative Techniques and Point of View

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