Read the passage from “Mr. and Mrs. Dove.”

Here he was! And nervously he tied a bow in front of the mirror, jammed his hair down with both hands, pulled out the flaps of his jacket pockets. Making between 500 and 600 pounds a year on a fruit farm in—of all places—Rhodesia. No capital. Not a penny coming to him. No chance of his income increasing for at least four years. As for looks and all that sort of thing, he was completely out of the running. He couldn’t even boast of top-hole health, for the East Africa business had knocked him out so thoroughly that he’d had to take six months’ leave. He was still fearfully pale—worse even than usual this afternoon, he thought, bending forward and peering into the mirror. Good heavens! What had happened?

What is the effect of the pacing used in the passage?

Mr. and Mrs. Dove

1. Even though the story is told by an outside narrator, the descriptive details explain Reggie’s feelings, so readers feel as if Reggie is telling the story himself.
2. Because the story is written in a series of short summaries of events, readers are left wondering about the emotions of the main characters and the fate of their relationship.
3. Even though the story is told by an outside narrator, the short, choppy sentences create the effect of internal dialogue, so readers feel as if they are hearing Reggie speak aloud.
4. Because the story is told in a series of flashbacks, readers gain an understanding of the history of both of the main characters as well as the evolution of their relationship.