Final answer:
The introductory paragraph in a narrative often serves as a hook to engage the reader and provides background information. In the context of the student's question, the paragraph appears to set the historical context for the story. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is (c) Set the historical context.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question focuses on understanding the purpose of an introductory paragraph in a literary narrative. When an author includes a paragraph at the beginning of a selection, they may aim to achieve several possible objectives such as setting the historical context, introducing the main character, creating a hook to engage readers, or offering a summary of the story. An effective introduction often includes a hook to capture the reader's attention; it could be a quote, an anecdote, or a surprising statistic. The paragraph typically provides context or background information, helping readers to get oriented to the time, place, and situation of the narrative. The introduction may establish the problem, and the setting, and introduce the main characters and conflicts, preparing the reader for the story to unfold.
The options presented to the student suggest different purposes for the paragraph:
- Offering a summary of the entire story.
- Introducing the main character.
- Setting the historical context.
- Concluding the narrative.
In this instance, the introductory paragraph seems to serve the purpose of setting the historical context and providing background information, which aligns with option (c) Set the historical context.