Question

Read the passage.

excerpt from "Interview with Simon Ortiz" by Laura Coltelli

ORTIZ: Essentially. It has to be. There's no other purpose for which a person lives. Again, I refer to what my heritage is. It's a central philosophy: you don't speak, you don't live except on behalf of your people. You can't live, you are not alone; only because the people are you in existence.

Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this interview.

How does Ortiz’s use of the second-person in this passage affect its tone?

It suggests that Ortiz does not wish to speak about himself, giving the piece a defensive tone.

It signals that Ortiz knows the interviewer well, which gives the piece its warm and friendly tone.

It conveys Ortiz’s intelligence as a speaker and establishes a formal tone.

It helps to create an informal tone that makes the interview feel like a free exchange of ideas.

Answer 1

It helps to create an informal tone that makes the interview feel like a free exchange of ideas.

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Answer 2

Ortiz’s usage of the second person in the given passage suggests that it helps to create an informal tone that makes the interview feel like a free exchange of ideas.

Answer: Option D

Step-by-step explanation:

Simon J. Ortiz is an American poet belonging to the Acoma Pueblo Tribe of native America. Since the tribe is almost extinct Ortiz wants to preserve its rich oral heritage of story-telling.

In the given excerpt from “Interview with Simon Ortiz” the speaker uses the second person to make an informal tone. In this interview, Ortiz wants to make the interview feel like a free casual discussion where the ideas can flow fluently without any obstacle or difficulty. He wants to establish a casual and a friendly environment and therefore uses the second person.