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The author of the excerpt uses a series of examples to demonstrate the point that the narrator's actions are a result of his inner turmoil. In the first example, the narrator, having just gotten lost in a confusing forest, "looked about him with a troubled brow, his face clouded with anxious thought." In the second example, the narrator stumbles upon an old stone house and is filled with an "unaccountable dread." Finally, the author concludes that the narrator's "unease was not the outcome of any external danger, but rather, the product of a mind burdened by its own dark thoughts."

SAT · English · previous-year question

  1. A.To highlight the narrator’s struggles with physical challenges.
  2. B.To illustrate that the narrator is trying to escape his problems.
  3. C.To emphasize the narrator’s mental state.correct
  4. D.To expose the narrator’s inability to solve problems.

Answer

C. To emphasize the narrator’s mental state.

Explanation

The examples in the excerpt are used to illustrate the narrator’s mental state. Each example shows the narrator experiencing a feeling of unease or anxiety, which is not caused by any external factor but rather by the narrator's internal thoughts. The author’s purpose is to emphasize that the narrator’s unease is not a result of his surroundings, but rather a product of his own mind.

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