Question

the reincarnation of tama
by yai theodora ozaki (excerpt)
(1) many years ago in yedo, in the district of fukagawa, there
lived a rich timber merchant after many years the merchants
wife at last gave birth to a daughter. both parents rejoiced that
the gods had answered their prayers. they reared the child with
great care, likening her to a precious gem held tenderly on both
hands, and they named her tama, the jewel.
(2) when she reached the age of sixteen her parents thought it
was time to seek a suitable bridegroom for her. however, it
proved exceedingly difficult to find anyone who would meet all
their requirements.
(3) now it happened that near-by in a small house there lived a
man by the name of hayashi. he was a provincial samurai, but
for some reason or other had left his daimios domain and settled
in yedo. his wife was long since dead, but he had an only son
whom he educated in the refinements of the military class. the
family was a poor one, for all samurai were trained to hold
poverty in high esteem, and to despise trade and money-making.
(4) at the time this story opens the elder hayashi had just died
and the son, though only nineteen years of age, carried on his
fathers work.
(5) he often passed the rich merchants house and tama, the
jewel, noticed the young man coming and going with his flute
questioning her nurse, she learned all there was to know about
his history, his poverty, his scholarly attainments, his skill as a
musician and the recent sorrow he had sustained in the death of
his father
(6) besides being attracted by his good looks, the beautiful
tamas heart went out in sympathy to the young man in his
misfortune and loneliness, and she asked her mother to invite
him to the house as her music-master, so that they might play
duets together - he performing on the flute to her accompaniment
on the koto.
select the correct text in the passage
which paragraph best reveals a characters change of perspective?
(15) tama was inconsolable. she pined for her lover and soon fell ill. her elaborate trousseau and the outfit for the bridal
household was complete but the wedding ceremony had to be postponed.
(16) both parents became very anxious for, as the days went by, instead of getting better their daughter weakly
sometimes could not leave her bed, so weak did she become.
(17) her mother now begged the father to allow the marriage with hayashi to take place. though he was not the man of their
choice in worldly position, yet if their daughter loved him, it were better that she should marry him.
(18) but now arose a difficulty of which they had not dreamed. hayashi had moved away no one knew whither, and all their
frantic efforts to trace him were fruitless.

Explanation:

Paragraph (15) shows Tama's emotional change from being in love (pre - wedding) to being inconsolable (post - wedding delay due to her illness), indicating a shift in her perspective from anticipation of marriage to despair.

Answer:

(15) Tama was inconsolable. She pined for her lover and soon fell ill. Her elaborate trousseau and the outfit for the bridal household was complete but the wedding ceremony had to be postponed.