7
QuizMultiple Choice

Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Call of the Wild

Question 7 • *NBHS FL-1001070-M/J Language Arts 3 A

Which excerpt from The Call of the Wild provides story details that would likely be absent if Buck were the narrator?

Answer
A
“Since the beginning of the winter they had travelled eighteen hundred miles, dragging sleds the whole weary distance; and eighteen hundred miles will tell upon the life of the toughest.”
B
“Dave refused to run quietly on the trail behind the sled, where the going was easy, but continued to flounder alongside in the soft snow, where the going was most difficult, till exhausted.”
C
“They were all terribly footsore. No spring or rebound was left in them. Their feet fell heavily on the trail, jarring their bodies and doubling the fatigue of a day’s travel.”
D
“Again Hal’s whip fell upon the dogs. They threw themselves against the breast-bands, dug their feet into the packed snow, got down low to it, and put forth all their strength.”

Explanation

Buck, as a first-person narrator, could describe what he sees and feels, but he would not know the exact total distance the group had traveled unless someone told him. Excerpt A gives the precise figure of eighteen hundred miles and comments on how that distance affects even the toughest dogs. The other excerpts describe the dogs’ actions, fatigue, or effort—details Buck could experience or observe.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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