Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

Sweet and gentle ladies, this day has been devoted, so far as I can see, to the doings of kings and sultans and people of that sort; and therefore, so as not to place too great a distance between us, I want to tell you of a marquis, whose actions, even though things turned out well for him in the end, were remarkable not so much for their munificence as for their senseless brutality. (p. 784)

Which phrase is used in the excerpt above to indicate the presence of a framed narrative?

Sweet and gentle ladies...
...I want to tell you of a marquis...
...as for their senseless brutality.
...to the doings of kings and sultans and people of that sort;

Answer 1

I think the first or the second phrase works the best

Answer 2

The correct answer is B. ...I want to tell you of a marquis...

Step-by-step explanation:

In literature, a framed narrative occurs when the main story or narrative introduces another narrative which creates a story-within-a-story in which the first narrative acts as a frame for the second narrative. This occurs in the excerpt presented because the narrator is first speaking about the actions of kings and sultans but then through the phrase " ...I want to tell you of a marquis..." the narrator introduces a new story that focuses on the actions of a marquis. Therefore, the phrase that indicates the presence of a framed narrative is " ...I want to tell you of a marquis..." because this phrase introduces a story within the main story told.