Question

passage: in a memoir, the author writes: \i clung to that tiny room like a shipwrecked sailor to driftwood—pathetic, but alive.\ question: what is the nuance of the word clung in this sentence? it suggests physical strength and dominance. it conveys desperation and fragile survival. it implies romantic attachment. it shows disinterest masked by fear.

Explanation:

The author compares clinging to a room to a shipwrecked sailor clinging to driftwood. This image evokes a sense of desperation to survive, and the mention of being "pathetic, but alive" emphasizes the fragility of survival.

Answer:

It conveys desperation and fragile survival.