Author's Style and Layers of Meaning in Cane — Quiz
Question 3 • English Language Arts 11
Read the excerpt from "Fern” in Cane . One evening I walked up the Pike on purpose, and stopped to say hello. Some of her family were about, but they moved away to make room for me . . . if I knew how to begin. Would you? Mr. and Miss So-and-So, people, the weather, the crops, the new preacher, the frolic, the church benefit, rabbit and possum hunting, the new soft drink they had at old Pap’s store, the schedule of trains, what kind of town Macon was, Negro’s migration north, boll-weevils, syrup, the Bible—to all these things she gave a yassur or nassur, without further comment. What is the effect of this long list of conversation topics in this excerpt?
Answer
A
It emphasizes what the narrator and Fern have in common.
B
It suggests that the narrator feels excited.
C
It demonstrates the narrator’s obsession with the community.
D
It shows that Fern inspires conversation.
Explanation
The narrator lists many subjects he tries in order to start a conversation with Fern, from the weather and crops to church events and the Bible. Fern responds only with “yassur” or “nassur,” so the list emphasizes how hard the narrator works to draw her into talking. This supports “Fern inspires conversation,” rather than showing that they have much in common or that the narrator is excited.
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