Question

Read the excerpt from Irving’s "The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger."

Often, after we had returned from one of these scenes of revelry, I have entered his room, and found him lying on his face on the sofa: his hands clinched in his fine hair, and his whole countenance bearing traces of the convulsions of his mind.

Which of the following statements best describes the effect of narration on the story?

1. The narration reflects the revelry of the carnival.
2. The narration reflects the friend’s physical discomfort.
3. The narration suggests mounting helplessness and agony.
4. The narration suggests a physical altercation between the men.

Answer 1

3. The narration suggests mounting helplessness and agony.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Washington Irving's short story "The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger", the unnamed narrator talks of how he had befriended a stranger who "would turn his head slowly round, give a glance over his shoulder, and then withdraw it with a sudden je rk, as if something painful had met his eye". This newfound mystery sparked an interest in him to know more about the stranger.

After he had befriended him and they usually hung out, he still saw that the stranger appeared to be the same. He's sometimes see him with "his face on the sofa: his hands clinched in his fine hair, and his whole countenance bearing traces of the convulsions of his mind". This used to happen even after a whole scene of revelry and other activities that may be deemed enjoyment. But to the stranger, back in his room, he became the same man- lonely and seemingly in pain. The narration in this given passage suggests the mounting helplessness and pain and agony that the stranger must be going through.