Question

Then the animals assailed the donkey for spoiling what could possibly have been a pleasure to them, on a mere suspicion that the picture was not beautiful, without any evidence that such was the case. The donkey was not troubled; he was calm, and said there was one way to find out who was in the right, himself or the cat: he would go and look in that hole, and come back and tell what he found there. The animals felt relieved and grateful, and asked him to go at once—which he did.
What is the effect of Twain's use of "telling language" and indirect dialogue, rather than "showing language" and direct dialogue, in this part of the fable?

A.This technique allows Twain to create an image in readers' minds so that readers can fill out the scene with their own imaginations.

B.This technique allows Twain to compress the conversation into fewer words and move on to a more interesting part of the story.

C.This technique allows Twain to make his own comments on the scene, through the words of the narrator.

D.This technique allows Twain to add humor to the scene by concentrating on the animals' actions rather than their words.

Answer 1

The correct answer is B.

Using indirect dialogue allows Twain to compress and shorten the conversation. By using fewer words (instead of including the exact dialogue), Twain can keep the scene short and move on to a more interesting part of the story.

If the dialogue were written out exactly as it was spoken, it would take a lot longer to read, since many animals are speaking to the donkey in this scene.

Answer 2

Answer:

This technique allows Twain to compress the conversation into fewer words and move on to a more interesting part of the story.

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