Question

we arrived at the station, where the cattle cars were waiting. ever since my book night i have pursued those nocturnal trains that crossed the devastated continent. their shadow haunts my writing. they symbolize solitude, distress, and the relentless march of jewish multitudes toward agony and death. i freeze every time i hear a train whistle. — all rivers run to the sea, elie wiesel copyright © 1972, 1985 by elie wiesel. translation copyright 2006 by marion wiesel. all rights reserved. used by permission of georges borchardt, inc., new york, ny. how is a reader’s interpretation affected by knowing the passage is from a memoir? the reader gets a clear picture because the author actually experienced the event. the reader can distance the author from the subject matter to understand the event. the reader gets a sense of the author’s character in describing a historical event.

Explanation:

A memoir is a personal account of the author's own experiences. When a reader knows a passage is from a memoir, they understand that the author is writing about events they actually lived through. So the first option makes sense because the author (Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor) experienced the events related to the cattle cars (used in the Holocaust to transport Jews to concentration camps), so the reader can trust the authenticity of the experience being described, getting a clear picture as it's based on real - life experience. The second option is incorrect because a memoir is personal, so the reader should feel connected, not distanced. The third option is less relevant as the focus here is on the authenticity of the event experience, not just the author's character in describing a historical event.

Answer:

The reader gets a clear picture because the author actually experienced the event.