Jem shuddered. “Like somebody was readin’ my mind. Like somebody could tell what I was gonna do. Can’t anybody tell what I’m gon
na do lest they know me, can they, Scout?" In the excerpt above, the author uses shorter sentences in her description. The effect of this might be to _____.
It is likely that the reason why the author uses short sentences is because she wants to communicate Jem's anxiety. Jem is very nervous about the fact that somebody could be reading his mind. He wonders whether this is possible, and asks Scout for her opinion. We know he is scared because he shuddered. However, we also know he is worried because he talks in short sentences, which implies that his mind is in a rush and going through several thoughts at once.
