Question

which of the following extracts from the story best supports the theme of spoiled children?

\theyre unbearable-lets admit it. they come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were the children in the family.\

\the hadleys turned. wendy and peter were coming happily in the front door, with bright blue eyes and a smell of fresh air on their clothes from their trip in the helicopter.\

\my dear george, a psychologist never saw a fact in his life. he only hears about feelings; things that arent always clearly expressed. this doesnt feel good, i tell you. trust me. i have a nose for something bad. this is very bad.\

\well,\ said george hadley. they stood on the grass-like floor of the nursery. it was forty feet across by forty feet long and thirty feet high; it had cost half again as much as the rest of the house. \but nothings too good for our children,\ george had said.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Theme Analysis in Literature
Connecting textual evidence to central ideas

Step 1: Understand the target theme

The question asks for the extract that best supports the theme of spoiled children. A spoiled child is typically characterized by a lack of discipline, demanding behavior, a lack of respect for parental authority, and a reversal of the traditional parent-child dynamic (where the children rule the household).

Step 2: Analyze the options

• Option 1: "They're unbearable–let's admit it. They come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were the children in the family."
• Analysis: This quote directly describes the children's behavior as "unbearable." It highlights their complete lack of discipline ("come and go when they like") and shows a total reversal of authority ("they treat us as if we were the children"). This is a direct, textbook description of the consequences of spoiling children.
• Option 2: "The Hadleys turned. Wendy and Peter were coming happily in the front door, with bright blue eyes and a smell of fresh air on their clothes from their trip in the helicopter."
• Analysis: This passage describes the physical appearance and arrival of the children. While the helicopter trip hints at wealth, the quote itself does not directly illustrate the behavioral theme of being "spoiled."
• Option 3: "My dear George, a psychologist never saw a fact in his life..."
• Analysis: This quote focuses on the psychologist's perspective on feelings and instincts. It does not describe the children or their spoiled nature.
• Option 4: "Well," said George Hadley... "But nothing's too good for our children," George had said.
• Analysis: This quote shows the parents' indulgence and desire to provide expensive things for their children. While this explains why they might become spoiled (parental overindulgence), Option 1 is a much stronger and more direct representation of the actual theme of spoiled children in action—showing the behavioral outcome of that indulgence.

Step 3: Select the best support

Option 1 is the strongest extract because it explicitly details the behavioral traits of spoiled children: disobedience, lack of boundaries, and disrespect for parental authority.

Answer:

• "They're unbearable–let's admit it. They come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were the children in the family."