My favorite pastime is to listen to others speaking. i never seem able to think of any topics worthy of conversation myself, but i am almost inclined to say that my ability to listen amounts to an art. i can remain silent with an air of absorbing interest, and once in a while offer brief comment, not to set forth an opinion or display any knowledge—for i have none to spare—but merely to suggest new channels to the speaker and introduce variety, that he may not tire of hearing himself speak.
from "a dry spell" by einar h. kvaran

2. what is the point of view of this passage?
second person
first person
third person limited
third person objective

The red badge of courage documents henry's growth and maturity as a soldier through the changes in his personality and behavior. during this transition, henry's emotions run the gamut from glory to fear to depression to anger to exhilaration to courage to honor. his personality and behavior move from innocence to experience, in essence from doubt to duty. henry's maturing process occurs very quickly. in the span of just a few days, henry experiences a lifetime's worth of growth — from his enlisting for self-centered reasons of glory, to the exhilaration of his first battle, to his running from his second battle for fear of being killed, and, ultimately, to his facing the enemy and leading a charge as he becomes one of the bravest soldiers in his regiment. several examples from the novel illuminate the changes which take place in henry's character and in their relationship to the themes of doubt and duty.