Abstract
This article discusses several thematically related aspects of narrative strategies in the dialogues of Middle Kingdom literature, focusing on the congruence between questions and their answers. It variously suggests that there is a pattern for how an ideal reply should be styled; that Sinuhe's seemingly incongruous replies to Amunenshi's questions betray a hitherto undetected sub-text to the dialogue; and that an improvement may be in order to current interpretations of the Shipwrecked Sailor. While it is hoped that specific conclusions reached will not be found implausible, the article's cumulative aim is to offer a new arrow for the literary-critical quiver, suggesting that Middle Kingdom texts reward a scrutiny of the congruence between question and answer.
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