Question

which narrative point of view is shown in the passage?

baley stepped in and said, \you want to see me, commissioner?\

enderby looked up. he wore spectacles because his eyes were sensitive. . . . baley had a strong notion that the commissioner valued his glasses for the personality they lent him and suspected that his eyeballs werent as sensitive as all that.

the commissioner looked definitely nervous. he straightened his cuffs, leaned back, and said, too heartily, \sit down, lije. sit down.\ . . .

baley thought: somethings wrong with his face.

from isaac asimov, the caves of steel. copyright 1953 by isaac asimov

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: point of view: first, second, and third person

Step 1: Identify the pronouns used

The narrator refers to the characters using third-person pronouns:

• "He wore spectacles..."
• "...his eyes were sensitive."
• "...the personality they lent him..."

The narrator does not use first-person pronouns ("I", "we") outside of direct dialogue, nor second-person pronouns ("you") to address the reader.

Step 2: Analyze access to characters' thoughts

The narrator has access to the internal thoughts and feelings of one specific character, Baley:

• "Baley had a strong notion..."
• "...and suspected that his eyeballs weren't as sensitive..."
• "Baley thought: Something's wrong with his face."

The narrator does not enter the mind of the Commissioner (Enderby), only describing his external actions and appearance ("Enderby looked up", "The Commissioner looked definitely nervous").

Because the story is told from an outside perspective but is limited to the thoughts and feelings of a single character, this is the third-person limited point of view.

Answer:

Third person (limited)