After Twenty Years & Narrative Perspective

You can tell this story is told from the omniscient point of view because —

How would the story change if it were told from the first-person point of view?

Why is the scene where Bob lights a match important?

Which of the following statements best describes what Jimmy and Bob have in common?

at the same time

complicated; full of detail

They found themselves in bed and watching, by the dim light from the night-light, the rest of Mary Poppin’s unpacking being performed. From the carpet bag she took out seven flannel nightgowns, four cotton ones, a pair of boots, a set of dominoes, two bathing-caps and a postcard album. Jane an Michael sat hugging themselves and watching. It was all so surprising that they could find nothing to say. But they knew, both of them, that something strange and wonderful had happened at Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane.

Why won’t Jimmy arrest Bob?

“Goldilocks was a proud and defiant little girl who’d been told many times by her mother to stay out of the woods, but she paid little attention to others, especially her elders, giving lots of attention instead to herself and her own desires. One day, just to show that she could, she wandered deep into the center of the forest, farther from home than ever before. In a clearing she noticed a small cottage, smoke issuing from the chimney. She thought it was quite an ugly little cottage, but she also thought it might be a place where she could get a little something to eat and drink.”

Which sentence reveals the story’s point of view?

miserably; gloomily

Bob’s detailed explanation to the first police officer about his presence in the doorway
suggests —

At dawn, Mae Tuck set out on her horse for the wood at the edge of the village of Treegap. She was going there, as she did once every ten years, to meet her two sons, Miles and Jesse, and she was feeling at ease. At noon time, Winnie Foster, whose family owned the Treegap wood, lost her patience at last and decided to think about running away.

What makes Bob stand out?

Bob feels that his old friend Jimmy Wells is a —

“A Child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned with one shoulder against a high board-fence and swayed the other to and fro, the while kicking carelessly at the gravel. Sunshine beat upon the cobbles, and a lazy summer wind raised yellow dust which trailed in clouds down the avenue. Clattering trucks moved with indistinctness through it. The child stood dreamily gazing.”

At the pizza place, Tony the baker was getting the pizzas ready for baking. He flattened out a ball of dough into a large pancake and tossed it in the air. He spread tomato sauce on it, sprinkled it with cheese, and shoved it in the over. Then the telephone rang. “A fellow from the factory wants a large pizza delivered in a hurry,” Tony’s wife called. “OK, I’ll get my coat,” said Tony.

Who is telling this story?

How can you predict that Jimmy will do the right thing?

Jimmy Wells is a —

What does Bob notice about his old friend that is different?

done or fixed by habit; customary

After dropping her son off at school, Sara sat at a traffic light and waited. She was on her way to her office job as a secretary in a law office. It was mainly paperwork with very little time to interact with other people, but Sara had gotten used to that. It also gave her plenty of time to daydream, something she had also gotten quite used to. She was a woman in her mid-30s, married 13 years, with one child.

Which of the following statements best describes “Silky” Bob’s reasons for returning to
New York City?

conceit; talking about oneself too much