Question

which narrative point of view is shown in the passage?

hummel sighed. his gun-colored coveralls seemed deflated; a sprinkle of iron filings fell from his hair. . . .
hummel was pathetic, caldwell decided as he walked away. lonely devil, couldnt stop talking, he couldnt let you go. no need for mechanics like him any more; everything mass-produced. waste. if one wears out, get another. biff. bang. smash em up.

from john updike, the centaur. copyright 1963 by john updike

first person
second person
third person

Explanation:

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

Step 1: Identify the pronouns used for characters

The narrator refers to the characters in the passage using their names ("Hummel", "Caldwell") and third-person pronouns ("his", "he").

• "Hummel sighed. His gun-colored coveralls..."
• "...Caldwell decided as he walked away."

There is no narrator referring to themselves as "I" or "we" as a character in the story.

Step 2: Determine the narrative perspective

Because the story is told by an outside observer who refers to all characters using third-person pronouns ("he", "she", "it", "they"), the narrative perspective is third person.

Answer:

third person