Question

read the excerpt from \fern\ in cane.
nothing ever really happened. nothing ever came to
fern, not even i. something i would do for her. some
fine unnamed thing. . . . and friend, you? she is still
living, i have reason to know. her name, against the
chance that you might happen down that way, is
fernie may rosen.
how does toomer best create a tone of familiarity in
this excerpt?
○ by repeating \ever\ to create hyperbole
○ by referring to the reader as \friend\ and \you\
○ by using the word \i\ to signal a personal story
○ by including the proper name of \fern\

Explanation:

Directly addressing the reader with "friend" and "you" immediately bridges the gap between the narrator and the audience, creating an intimate, conversational tone that feels personal and familiar. Repeating "ever" emphasizes stagnation, not familiarity; using "I" establishes a personal perspective but not direct familiarity; and the proper name adds specificity but not the direct connection of addressing the reader.

Answer:

by referring to the reader as "friend" and "you"