Select the correct text in the passage.Which detail builds on the themes that a person's environment can shape his or her view of life and that people can bear difficult circumstances for a long time?adapted from Life in the Iron Millsby Rebecca Harding Davis A cloudy day—do you know what that is in a town of iron works? The sky sank down before dawn—muddy, flat, and immovable; the air is thick—clammy with the breath of crowded human beings, and it stifles me. I open the front window and can scarcely see through the rain the grocer's shop opposite, and I can detect the scent through all the foul smells ranging loose in the air. The idiosyncrasy of this town is smoke as it rolls sullenly in slow folds from the great chimneys of the iron foundries and settles down in black, slimy pools on the muddy streets. Smoke on the wharves, smoke on the dingy boats, on the yellow river clinging in a coating of greasy soot to the house, the two faded poplars, the faces of the passerby—smoke everywhere! A dirty canary chirps desolately in a cage beside me; its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream—almost worn out, I think. From the back window, I can see a narrow brickyard sloping down to the riverside, where the river—dull and tawny-colored—drags itself sluggishly along, tired of the heavy weight of boats and barges. When I was a child, I used to fancy a look of weary, dumb appeal upon the face of the river, bearing its burden day after day. Something of the same idle notion comes to me today, when I look on the slow stream of human life creeping past, night and morning, to the great mills. Masses of men with dull, besotted faces bent to the ground, sharpened here and there by pain or cunning; skin and muscle and flesh begrimed with smoke and ashes; stooping all night over boiling cauldrons of metal; breathing from infancy to death an air saturated with grease and soot—vileness for soul and body. What do you make of a case like that, amateur psychologist? You call it an altogether serious thing to be alive: to these men it is a jest, a joke—horrible to angels perhaps, but to them commonplace enough.
Question
Select the correct text in the passage.Which detail builds on the themes that a person's environment can shape his or her view of life and that people can bear difficult circumstances for a long time?adapted from Life in the Iron Millsby Rebecca Harding Davis A cloudy day—do you know what that is in a town of iron works? The sky sank down before dawn—muddy, flat, and immovable; the air is thick—clammy with the breath of crowded human beings, and it stifles me. I open the front window and can scarcely see through the rain the grocer's shop opposite, and I can detect the scent through all the foul smells ranging loose in the air. The idiosyncrasy of this town is smoke as it rolls sullenly in slow folds from the great chimneys of the iron foundries and settles down in black, slimy pools on the muddy streets. Smoke on the wharves, smoke on the dingy boats, on the yellow river clinging in a coating of greasy soot to the house, the two faded poplars, the faces of the passerby—smoke everywhere! A dirty canary chirps desolately in a cage beside me; its dream of green fields and sunshine is a very old dream—almost worn out, I think. From the back window, I can see a narrow brickyard sloping down to the riverside, where the river—dull and tawny-colored—drags itself sluggishly along, tired of the heavy weight of boats and barges. When I was a child, I used to fancy a look of weary, dumb appeal upon the face of the river, bearing its burden day after day. Something of the same idle notion comes to me today, when I look on the slow stream of human life creeping past, night and morning, to the great mills. Masses of men with dull, besotted faces bent to the ground, sharpened here and there by pain or cunning; skin and muscle and flesh begrimed with smoke and ashes; stooping all night over boiling cauldrons of metal; breathing from infancy to death an air saturated with grease and soot—vileness for soul and body. What do you make of a case like that, amateur psychologist? You call it an altogether serious thing to be alive: to these men it is a jest, a joke—horrible to angels perhaps, but to them commonplace enough.
Solution
The detail that builds on the themes that a person's environment can shape his or her view of life and that people can bear difficult circumstances for a long time is: "Masses of men with dull, besotted faces bent to the ground, sharpened here and there by pain or cunning; skin and muscle and flesh begrimed with smoke and ashes; stooping all night over boiling cauldrons of metal; breathing from infancy to death an air saturated with grease and soot—vileness for soul and body." This passage illustrates how the harsh and grimy environment of the iron mills has shaped the workers' perspectives and how they endure these conditions throughout their lives.
Similar Questions
Select the correct text in the passage.Which detail best supports the theme that people should enjoy the good times in life?excerpt adapted from Goodfellowshipby Li PoHast thou not beheld the Yellow RiverWhich flows from Heaven?It runs rapidly down and empties into the sea,Nevermore to return.Hast thou beheld the mirror in the hallThat reflects the grief of white hair?In the morning it is like black silk,In the evening it will be covered with snow.While we are in the mood of joy,Let us celebrate!Let not our lives be lonely,Let us waste not the moon!
How does the author show the emergence of the text's theme: being alone in an unfamiliar setting can bring feelings of sadness and isolation?A The author uses the line "The men employed in the indigo factory had no leisure; moreover, they were hardly desirable companions," to suggest the postmaster was too occupied with work to befriend the workers. B The author uses the line "Oh, if only some kindred soul were near-" to illustrate his regret of having no one to share his deepest feelings. C The author uses the line "He felt like a fish out of water in this remote village." to reveal that the postmaster feels out of place and has trouble connecting with the villagers. D The author uses the line "The postmaster's salary was small" to contrast the poverty of the postmaster to the wealth of the villagers.
Which of these could be examples of themes in a novel?
Which phrase provides the BEST definition of theme in literature?a repeating element of plotthe author’s word choicethe author’s point of viewa story’s message about life
Use examples from the novel to justify your opinions about how each theme is explored and portrayed by the author.
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