Question

question 8 of 20
read this excerpt from \gravity\ by judith ortiz cofer:
\lock the door behind me, will you, elenita,\ she said, her
voice soft and sad. i nodded as she walked away without a
glance back at me.

an hour or so later i found myself looking through my
closet for a reasonable compromise between taffeta and
denim.

which statement best describes the intended aesthetic impact of this
excerpt?

a. by showing elenita to have a change of heart about going to the
dance, the author emphasizes the coming of age theme.

b. by describing the voice of elenitas mother as soft and sad, the
author emphasizes her hurt, leaving the reader sympathetic to her.

c. by having elenitas mother leave without looking at her, the author
rebukes elenita, leaving the reader disappointed at her behavior.

Explanation:

The excerpt highlights the mother’s soft, sad voice and her departure without a glance, which evokes reader sympathy for her hurt. Option A is unsupported (no dance change mentioned), and Option C misinterprets the mother’s action as rebuking rather than reflecting her own sadness. Thus, B best captures the aesthetic impact.

Answer:

B. By describing the voice of Elenita's mother as soft and sad, the author emphasizes her hurt, leaving the reader sympathetic to her.