PSAT Reading Question 318: Answer and Explanation

Question: 318

The point of view from which the story is told is that of a/an

• A. adult looking back at a childhood experience.
• B. child contemplating her future opportunities.
• C. adolescent fixating on her past obstacles.
• D. third-person omniscient narrator.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) The passage begins by stating, "When I was younger, much younger . . . I spent every other summer at Rehoboth Beach." The narrator goes on to tell a story about the boardwalk at the beach. Establishing the setting in this way most strongly suggests that the point of view from which the passage is told is that of an adult looking back at a childhood experience. It is not choice (B) because the story is told in the past tense. The answer is not choice (C) because it would not make sense for an adolescent to describe childhood experiences as "much younger"; moreover, the narrator is not "fixating" on past obstacles. Instead, she is able to learn from them and move on as indicated in line 60, where she says she "would learn contentment." Finally, the correct answer is not choice (D) because the story is told from a first-person perspective.