Narrative Perspective and Unreliable Narrators

Question 1

Read the passage below: "Coach Ramirez watched the clock tick down to the final seconds of the championship game. He wondered if his team could still score, while across the field, Jenna clenched her fists, her mind racing with the memory of the missed penalty that had haunted her all season." Which statement correctly identifies the narrative perspective of the passage and explains how that perspective affects what the reader knows?

Accepted Answer

The passage is told in third‑person omniscient, which expands the reader’s knowledge because we are given the private thoughts of both Coach Ramirez and Jenna.

Answer

The passage is told in first‑person, which limits the reader’s knowledge because we only hear the narrator’s own experiences.

Answer

The passage is told in third‑person limited, which expands the reader’s knowledge because we hear the thoughts of the main character only.

Answer

The passage is told in third‑person objective, which limits the reader’s knowledge because we see only the characters’ actions, not their thoughts.

Question 2

Detective Maya scanned the old mansion for clues. As she entered the library, she thought the missing ruby must still be hidden somewhere in the house. Unbeknownst to her, the thief had slipped the ruby into the vase on the mantel just minutes earlier, and Maya walked right past it, humming to herself. How does dramatic irony arise in this scene?

Accepted Answer

The reader knows the ruby is already in the vase, while Maya does not, so we feel tension as she searches elsewhere.

Answer

The author uses foreshadowing by mentioning the vase earlier, which tells us the ruby will appear later, creating suspense, not irony.

Answer

Because the story is told in third‑person limited, we only see Maya’s thoughts, which limits what we know and creates the irony.

Answer

Maya is an unreliable narrator who hides the fact that she already found the ruby, making us doubt her story.

Question 3

Read the passage below: Jenna stared at the broken kite tangled in the oak tree. She wondered if she could still enter the school’s kite‑flying contest, but she didn’t hear what her teammate Mark was saying about the wind. Which narrative perspective is used, and how does it affect what the reader knows?

Accepted Answer

Third‑person limited; we know Jenna’s thoughts but not Mark’s, so our knowledge is limited to her point of view.

Answer

First‑person unreliable; Jenna might be lying, so we can’t trust any of the information.

Answer

Third‑person omniscient; we are given Jenna’s and Mark’s thoughts, so we know everything about the situation.

Answer

First‑person; we only hear Jenna’s words, so we miss what Mark thinks.

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