Question

select the correct answer.

read the two excerpts from the text.

excerpt 1:

(1) ... \i have not begun it yet,\ he always said, \but i shall be at it every night once the winter sets in....\

excerpt 2:

(44) summer came, and then he said:

(45) \it is too hot to write books. get me another bottle of iced soda-water. ill tackle the book in the autumn.\

how does the author create tension in these excerpts?

by showing the seasons passing while the conflict remains between the characters
by illustrating the increasing demands that the husband is making on his wife
by suggesting that the two characters dont realize how quickly they are aging
by revealing how infrequently the wife expresses her own needs and opinions

Explanation:

Analyze the first excerpt

In Excerpt 1, the character promises to work on his writing "every night once the winter sets in." This establishes an initial timeline and expectation for his progress. We apply Textual Analysis to identify this initial commitment.

Analyze the second excerpt

In Excerpt 2, the narrative jumps to summer, and the character makes excuses ("too hot to write") and delays the task further to "the autumn." This demonstrates a shift in seasons without any actual progress on his goal.

Evaluate the literary pacing

Using Pacing in Literature, we see that the rapid transition from winter to summer highlights the passage of time. The contrast between his repeated excuses and the changing seasons creates a sense of stagnation and unresolved conflict.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

• Option 1: "by showing the seasons passing while the conflict remains between the characters" directly aligns with the passage of time (winter to summer) and the unresolved tension of his procrastination.
• Option 2: "by illustrating the increasing demands..." is incorrect as asking for soda-water does not represent a central conflict of "increasing demands."
• Option 3: "by suggesting that the two characters don't realize how quickly they are aging" is unsupported by the text.
• Option 4: "by revealing how infrequently the wife expresses her own needs..." is incorrect as the wife's perspective is not the focus of these specific lines.

Determine the correct option

Option 1 is the most accurate interpretation of how the author uses the passage of seasons to build narrative tension.

Answer:

• (A) by showing the seasons passing while the conflict remains between the characters (Correct answer)
• (B) by illustrating the increasing demands that the husband is making on his wife
• (C) by suggesting that the two characters don't realize how quickly they are aging
• (D) by revealing how infrequently the wife expresses her own needs and opinions