Question

the system of dr. tarr and prof. fether
edgar allan poe
1 during the autumn of 18--, while on a tour through the
extreme southern provinces of france, my route led me within a few
miles of a certain maison de sante or private mad - house, about
which i had heard much in paris from my medical friends. as i had
never visited a place of the kind, i thought the opportunity too good
to be lost; and so proposed to my travelling companion (a
gentleman with whom i had made casual acquaintance a few days
before) that we should turn aside, for an hour or so, and look
through the establishment. to this he objected - pleading haste in the
first place, and, in the second, a very usual horror at the sight of a
lunatic. he begged me, however, not to let any mere courtesy
towards himself interfere with the gratification of my curiosity, and
said that he would ride on leisurely, so that i might overtake him
during the day, or, at all events, during the next. as he bade me
good - bye, i bethought me that there might be some difficulty in
obtaining access to the premises, and mentioned my fears on this
point. he replied that, in fact, unless i had personal knowledge of
the superintendent, monsieur maillard, or some credential in the
way of a letter, a difficulty might be found to exist, as the

how does the author use a secondary character to develop our
understanding of the narrator?
a
the author includes a companion in the first half
of the excerpt to demonstrate the narrators
careful thought process.
b
the author includes a companion in the first half
of the excerpt to show the narrators curiosity and
foolishness.
c
the author includes the woman in the second half
of the excerpt to highlight the authors internalized
misogyny.
d
the author includes the woman in the second half
of the excerpt to illustrate why readers cannot
trust the narrator.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The first half of the excerpt (about the companion) shows the narrator's careful thought process (e.g., planning to visit the mad - house, considering the opportunity). The companion's presence and the narrator's actions related to the visit demonstrate a thoughtful approach.
• Option B: There's no indication of the narrator's curiosity being foolish. The narrator's interest in the mad - house is a reasonable curiosity.
• Option C: The excerpt doesn't show misogyny (hatred of women) as there's no content related to negative views towards women.
• Option D: The excerpt doesn't give a reason for readers to not trust the narrator. The narrator's account seems straightforward about the visit and interactions.

Answer:

A. The author includes a companion in the first half of the excerpt to demonstrate the narrator’s careful thought process.