Read this excerpt from “the black cat” by edgar allan poe. one night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, i fancied that the cat avoided my presence. i seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. how does the first-person point of view affect the meaning of the text? readers learn about the narrator's excuse for his behavior. readers learn the narrator's own analysis and explanation for his treatment of his wife. readers gain insight into why the cat avoids the narrator. readers get an inside perspective on how the narrator feels when the cat ignores him.

Part a which statement best describes a central idea in this narrative? in times of tragedy, it is difficult to determine how best to be of service. in times of crisis, people prefer to be alone. young people tend to look to older people to take action in times of tragedy. when people publicly commit to being of service, they are more likely to follow through. part b which detail from the text best to shape the central idea in part a? "'i thought you might have too much going on already. i saw everyone post online.' martin said, 'i don’t think anyone wanted to be in the way today, so i’m glad you came.'" "finally, he said, 'i don’t know what to do. i guess i should tell him to let me know if he needs anything, but that doesn’t feel like enough.'" "he wondered how many people would actually show up to out and how many would simply hope that enough others did." "he explained to her that martin’s mom had died, and told her how he felt about his friend’s loss. 'what do you plan to do for him? ' his mother asked."