Question

the major asked me to have a drink with him and two other officers. we drank rum and it was very friendly. outside it was getting dark. i asked what time the attack was to be and they said as soon as it was dark. i went back to the drivers. they were sitting in the dugout talking and when i came in they stopped. i gave them each a package of cigarettes, macedonias, loosely packed cigarettes that spilled tobacco and needed to have the ends twisted before you smoked them. manera lit his lighter and passed it around. the lighter was shaped like a fiat radiator. i told them what i had heard.

what effects does this indirect characterization have on the story? check all that apply.
it allows the reader to fill in the details.
it provides the author’s clear opinion.
it slows down the story for reflection.
it develops multiple characters at once.
it allows the action to continue.

Explanation:

1. The indirect characterization (showing through actions/observations, not telling) lets readers interpret character traits on their own, filling in details about the officers' personalities (e.g., friendliness, casualness) without explicit statements.
2. The passage describes interactions with the major and two other officers, revealing small details about each, which develops multiple characters simultaneously.
3. The scene of drinking, talking, and sharing cigarettes unfolds naturally without pausing for direct character exposition, letting the story's action and pacing continue smoothly.
4. The passage does not provide the author's clear opinion, and the conversational, action-focused scene does not slow the story for reflection, so those options are incorrect.

Answer:

• It allows the reader to fill in the details.
• It develops multiple characters at once.
• It allows the action to continue.