Question

be happy, be happy!
by phnina kass
note: in eastern europe, daily life was difficult. at month’s end,
the villagers waited outside the door of the manor house of
marcus boscovitz, hoping to receive payment for their labor.
boscovitz paid only at his discretion from a coin bag he carried
in his right pocket.
1 in january, marcus boscovitz announced the betrothal
of his daughter.
2 one person who knew more than anyone about the
wedding preparations was oblomov the tailor, who
frequented the great house every day for the endless
measurements and fittings of the wedding attire. he
reported with great modesty to the unpaid villagers about
all the work he had been given.
3 the week of the wedding, an unexpected snowstorm
raged through the villages. but the wedding proceeded as
planned because postponement of a wedding would
cause bad luck for the young couple.
4 at five o’clock in the evening, the doors of the manor
house swung open, welcoming the arriving guests. as
oblomov had related to the unpaid village workers, the
boscovitz family was dressed as if each member had
stepped out of a royal portrait. even through the thick
velvet fabric of marcus boscovitz’s suit, the distinct
clinking of the gold coins in his right pocket could be
heard by every guest.
5 at nine o’clock the musicians finally arrived. “hurry,
hurry!” marcus boscovitz exclaimed, his voice laced with
impatience. “you’ve kept my guests waiting!”
6 the band began to play the merriest music anyone
had ever heard, and with every few bars of music, a pale
4
read the line of dialogue from paragraphs 6, 8, and 12.
“be happy, be happy!”
how does this line of dialogue advance the resolution of the story?
a. boscovitz repeats it, meaning that he does not believe it himself.
b. boscovitz repeats it, meaning that money does buy happiness.
c. different characters say it, meaning that happiness depends on a person’s situation.
d. different characters say it, meaning that one person’s happiness depends on another’s.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The story doesn't imply Boscovitz doesn't believe the phrase; he's part of the wedding event, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: The text doesn't support that money buys happiness. The villagers are unpaid, and Boscovitz's wealth doesn't show money = happiness, so B is wrong.
• Option C: The line "Be happy, be happy!" is said by different characters. The Boscovitz family is happy with the wedding, while the unpaid villagers have a different situation (difficult daily life). This shows happiness depends on one's situation (wealth, role in the event, etc.), so C fits.
• Option D: The story doesn't show one person's happiness depends on another's. The villagers' situation is separate from the Boscovitzs' happiness, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

C. Different characters say it, meaning that happiness depends on a person’s situation.