In the following excerpt from “My Brother Paul” how does Dreiser blend narrative and nonfiction techniques to paint a vivid picture and develop his brother’s character?

At the beginning of this excerpt, we see the narrator (Theodore Dreiser) reflecting on the nature of his brother. The excerpt then switches to the narrative storytelling of an event that clarifies and supports this reflection. Because this is a work of nonfiction and Dreiser is recounting real people and their experiences, he makes it known that it’s almost impossible to use words to capture the essence of what his brother was truly like. He proceeds to narrate an incident that helps the readers get a better understanding of his brother and his nature. Dreiser describes the incident as though he is telling a fictional story. He provides descriptive details about the atmosphere and the character (his brother) in the scene, just like a scene from a piece of fiction. He draws on his factual knowledge of his brother’s traits and uses this brief, real-life incident to help readers understand his brother and how he was generous, sympathetic, and a tad bit mischievous. He uses descriptive language to add depth to the incident and maintain readers’ attention.

Explanation:

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