Read the excerpt from “A Visit from the Goon Squad.” Scotty climbed onto the platform and sat on the stool. Without a glance at
the audience or a word of introduction, he began to play “I Am a Little Lamb,” a tune whose childishness was belied by the twanging filigree of his slide guitar, its gushy metallic complexity. He followed that with “Goats Like Oats” and “A Little Tree Is Just Like Me.” The amplification was fine and powerful enough to eclipse the chopper throb and deliver the sound even to the distant reaches of the crowd, where it disappeared between buildings. Alex listened in a sort of cringe, expecting a roar of rejection from these thousands he’d managed secretly to assemble, whose goodwill had already been taxed by the long wait. But it didn’t happen; the pointers, who already knew these songs, clapped and screeched their approval, and the adults seemed intrigued, attuned to double meanings and hidden layers, which were easy to find. Which of the following choices best describes the structure used in this excerpt?
A) Multiple switches are used between the action and commentary.
B) A frame story is used to link the different stories together.
C) Sequential order is used to present the events in the order they occur.
D) Flashbacks are used to break with the chronological order of the storyline.
To answer this question, we first have to clarify some terms.
A frame story occurs when a story is told within a story. For example, in the movie "The Princess Bride," the story is told by a grandfather telling a story to his grandson. The story he tells is about the Princess Bride. The above excerpt does not have a frame structure. As a result, option B. can be eliminated.
A flashback occurs when a segment of the story goes back in time. For example, if the narrator is in the middle of a scene and then thinks about a time from his childhood, that is a flashback. However, in this excerpt from the novel, all of the action is occurring in the present. As a result, option D. can be eliminated.
That leaves options A. and C. It is clear the narration is occurring in chronological order. However, is that the best answer? To decide, look closely at what is happening in the scene.
The narrator is doing two things here. First, the narrator describes Scotty's actions. Second, the narrator is commenting on them. For example: He begins to play a song, but then the narrator switches to commentary and describes the song's "gushy metallic complexity." Scotty plays two more songs, and the narrator comments "their amplification was fine." This format continues throughout the selection.
Therefore, the best answer to this question is option A: Multiple switches are used between the action and commentary.
