Question

had hardly ever spoken to him. when he had been dead a long time i began to wish i had. it seems to be typical of life in america, where opportunities, real and fancied, are thicker than anywhere else on the globe, that the second generation has no time to talk to the first. which sentence best explains how the structure of the excerpt supports the author’s purpose? a. it makes a statement about the generation gap that existed in america at the time. b. it uses the third - person point of view to convey baldwin’s inner feelings regarding his father. c. it describes how baldwin and his father were victims of stubbornness to reveal that pride is a sin. d. it describes the stubborn pride baldwin and his father shared to reveal a growing estrangement between generations.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option A: The excerpt starts with a personal anecdote (not speaking to the deceased) and then generalizes to "life in America" where the second generation has no time for the first, directly making a statement about the generation gap in America.
2. Analyze Option B: The excerpt uses first - person ("I began to wish...") not third - person, so B is incorrect.
3. Analyze Option C: The excerpt does not focus on "pride is a sin" or describe them as victims of stubbornness, so C is incorrect.
4. Analyze Option D: The excerpt does not describe "stubborn pride" they shared; it focuses on the lack of time between generations, not estrangement from pride, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

A. It makes a statement about the generation gap that existed in America at the time.