Author's Style and Layers of Meaning in Cane — Quiz
Question 9 • English Language Arts 11
Read the excerpt from "Rhobert” in Cane. Nothing ever really happened. Nothing ever came to Fern, not even I. Something I would do for her. Some fine unnamed thing. . . . And friend, you? She is still living, I have reason to know. Her name, against the chance that you might happen down that way, is Fernie May Rosen. How does Toomer best create a tone of familiarity in this excerpt?
Answer
A
by referring to the reader as “friend” and “you”
B
by including the proper name of “Fern”
C
by repeating “ever” to create hyperbole
D
by using the word “I” to signal a personal story
Explanation
Toomer creates familiarity by speaking directly to the reader, calling them “friend” and asking “you?” This direct address makes the passage feel like a personal conversation. Naming Fern provides information about her, but it does not establish the same connection with the reader.
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