Question

21

select the correct answer from the drop-down menu.

read paragraph 23.

(23) of course some one might cut them down. the boy lowered his voice; it seemed shameful to mention the perpetration of such a deed aloud. it would be terrible to hear them groan when the axe struck them. the young ones mightnt mind so much; but it would be bad for the grandfather trees whove been here from the beginning. hannah says one would still hear them wailing on stormy nights.

how does this paragraph add tension to the passage?

this excerpt adds tension by
choose an answer
using the term \grandfather trees\ to describe the older trees that have been on the property a long time.
introducing hannahs feelings toward the trees that were on the property and contrasting them with his own.
emphasizing how painful it would be for the boy and the trees if the trees were cut down.
explaining how the old trees would take on human qualities in reaction to being cut down.

Explanation:

Analyze the paragraph's figurative language

The paragraph describes cutting down trees using highly evocative, human-like terms. The boy refers to cutting them down as a "perpetration of such a deed," and mentions hearing them "groan when the axe struck them" and "wailing on stormy nights." This application of Personification Analysis gives the trees human feelings and voices, making their potential destruction feel like a violent act against living beings.

Connect personification to literary tension

By attributing human qualities to the trees—such as groaning, feeling pain, and wailing—the text heightens the emotional stakes. This creates Literary Tension because the reader and the characters perceive the potential cutting of the trees not merely as landscaping, but as a painful, tragic event.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "using the term 'grandfather trees' to describe the older trees..." — This is descriptive but does not explain how tension is built through the dramatic imagery of suffering.
• Option 2: "introducing Hannah's feelings toward the trees..." — This focuses on another character's perspective rather than the primary mechanism of tension in the boy's description.
• Option 3: "emphasizing how painful it would be for the boy and the trees..." — While close, it misses the specific literary device of giving the trees human reactions to being cut down.
• Option 4: "explaining how the old trees would take on human qualities in reaction to being cut down." — This directly addresses the personification ("groan", "wailing") that drives the emotional weight and creates the tension.

Answer:

• using the term "grandfather trees" to describe the older trees that have been on the property a long time
• introducing Hannah's feelings toward the trees that were on the property and contrasting them with his own
• emphasizing how painful it would be for the boy and the trees if the trees were cut down
• explaining how the old trees would take on human qualities in reaction to being cut down (Correct answer)