Question

directions: read the passage and then answer the questions that follow.
from dubliners
by james joyce
1
mr. james duffy lived in chapelizod because he wished to live as far as possible from the city of which he was a citizen and because he found all the other suburbs of dublin mean, modern and pretentious. he lived in an old sombre house and from his windows he could look into the disused distillery or upwards along the shallow river on which dublin is built. the lofty walls of his uncarpeted room were free from pictures. he had himself bought every article of furniture in the room: a black iron bedstead, an iron washstand, four cane chairs, a clothes - rack, a coal - scuttle, a fender and irons and a square table on which lay a double desk. a bookcase had been made in an alcove by means of shelves of white wood. the bed was clothed with white bedclothes and a black and scarlet rug covered the foot. a little hand - mirror hung above the washstand and during the day a white - shaded lamp stood as the sole ornament of the mantelpiece. the books on the white wooden shelves were arranged from below upwards according to bulk. a complete wordsworth stood at one end of the lowest shelf and a copy of the maynooth catechism, sewn into the cloth cover of a notebook, stood at one end of the top shelf. writing materials were always on the desk. in the desk lay a manuscript translation of hauptmann’s michael kramer, the stage directions of which were written in purple ink, and a little sheaf of papers held together by a brass pin. in these sheets a sentence was inscribed from time to time and, in an ironical moment, the headline of an advertisement for bile beans had
how does the description of mr. duffy’s home in paragraph 1 most likely impact the meaning of the passage?
a) the writing materials on his desk represent mr. duffy’s secret desire to become a writer
b) the predominant use of black and white is symbolic for the lack of variety in mr. duffy’s life.
c) the location of mr. duffy’s home in chapelizod reflects his desire to live in a nice, modern suburb.
d) the inclusion of the maynooth catechism in mr. duffy’s book collection signifies his devotion to religion.

Explanation:

• Option a: The passage says writing materials are on the desk, but there's no info showing a "secret desire to become a writer"—the manuscript is a translation, not his own writing plans, so a is wrong.
• Option b: The home has black (iron furniture, black rug) and white (bedclothes, white wood shelves, lamp shade) elements. His life is described as sombre, with a plain, unvaried home (uncarpeted room, few ornaments, furniture he bought himself, books arranged by bulk). The black - white color scheme symbolizes the lack of variety in his life, so b is correct.
• Option c: The passage states he found other Dublin suburbs "mean, modern and pretentious" and chose Chapelizod to be far from the city, so he doesn't desire a modern suburb—c is wrong.
• Option d: The Maynooth Catechism is just one book on the shelf, and there's no other religious - related details (like religious practices, devotional items) to show "devotion to religion"—d is wrong.

Answer:

b. The predominant use of black and white is symbolic for the lack of variety in Mr. Duffy’s life.