Question

the following text is excerpted from the red badge of courage, an 1893 novel by stephen crane. in the text, a young civil war soldier named henry reflects in the aftermath of fighting a battle.
the procession of weary soldiers became a bedraggled train, despondent and muttering, marching with churning effort in a trough of liquid brown mud under a low, wretched sky. yet the youth smiled, for he saw that the world was a world for him, though many discovered it to be made of curses and walking sticks. he had rid himself of the red sickness of battle. the sultry nightmare was in the past. he had been an animal blistered and sweating in the heat and pain of war. he turned now with great thirst to images of tranquil skies, fresh meadows, cool brooks—an existence of soft and eternal peace.
which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
choose 1 answer:
a it contrasts henry’s emotional state with that of the other soldiers.
b it highlights the physical and emotional toll that the war has taken on the soldiers.
c it presents a shift in henry’s perception of the natural world.
d it emphasizes henry’s sense of exhaustion in the aftermath of the battle.

Explanation:

To determine the function of the underlined sentence, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The underlined sentence focuses on Henry's view, not a contrast with other soldiers' emotions. The other soldiers' state is described earlier, but the underlined part is about Henry's perspective. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The sentence is about Henry's positive view, not the toll of war (which would be negative, like the soldiers' "despondent" state). Eliminate B.
• Option C: Henry sees the world as "a world for him" now, while others see it as "curses and walking sticks." This shows a shift in his perception of the natural world (the world around him). This fits.
• Option D: The sentence shows Henry feeling relieved (smiled, rid of battle sickness), not exhaustion. Eliminate D.

Answer:

A. It contrasts Henry’s emotional state with that of the other soldiers. (Wait, no—correction: The correct answer is C. It presents a shift in Henry’s perception of the natural world. So the answer is C. It presents a shift in Henry’s perception of the natural world.