Question

question 6 of 10
read this passage from \the black cat\:

the officers bade me accompany them in their search.
they left no nook or corner unexplored. at length, for the
third or fourth time, they descended into the cellar. i
quivered not in a muscle. my heart beat calmly as that of
one who slumbers in innocence. i walked the cellar from
end to end. i folded my arms upon my bosom, and roamed
easily to and fro. the police were thoroughly satisfied and
prepared to depart.
what effect does poe’s use of short sentences have on the
pacing of this passage?

a. it causes the reader to question the accuracy of the narrator’s
version of events.

b. it creates the effect of time passing quickly in the story.

c. it establishes a slow buildup to the climax of the story.

d. it allows the reader a chance to review events in the story.

Explanation:

Short sentences in literature often speed up the narrative flow. In this passage, Poe's use of short sentences makes the sequence of events (the search, descending to the cellar, the narrator's actions) seem to occur rapidly. This is a common technique to create a sense of time passing quickly in a story.

Answer:

B. It creates the effect of time passing quickly in the story.