Question

read the selection and answer the question.
excerpt from \paul bunyan of the north woods\
by carl sandburg
1 who made paul bunyan, who gave him birth as a myth, who joked him into life as the master lumberjack, who fashioned him forth as an apparition easing the hours of men amid axes and trees, saws and lumber? (2) the people, the bookless people, they made paul and had him alive long before he got into the books for those who read. (3) he grew up in shanties, around the hot stoves of winter, among socks and mittens drying, in the smell of tobacco smoke and the roar of laughter mocking the outside weather. (4) and some of paul came overseas in wooden bunks below decks in sailing vessels. (5) and some of paul is old as the hills, young as the alphabet, ...
(6) one year when it rained from st. patrick’s day till the fourth of july, paul bunyan got disgusted because his celebration on the fourth was spoiled. (7) he dived into lake superior and swam to where a solid pillar of water was coming down. (8) he dived under this pillar, swam up into it and climbed with powerful swimming strokes,
he grew up in shanties, around the hot stoves of winter, among socks and mittens drying in the smell of tobacco smoke and the roar of laughter mocking the outside weather.
the description of paul bunyan in the italicized sentence helps to establish him as —
a a poor and uneducated immigrant newly arrived on land.
b an ordinary hardworking man with universal human struggles.
c a gentle and courageous outdoorsman who lived a solitary life.
d an unusually strong lumberjack with respect for the natural world.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the italicized sentence: "He grew up in shanties, around the hot stoves of winter, among socks and mittens drying in the smell of tobacco smoke and the roar of laughter mocking the outside weather."

• Option A: The text doesn't emphasize "uneducated" or "newly arrived" (mentions some came overseas, but the description is broader). Eliminate A.
• Option B: The details (shanties, hot stoves, drying socks/mittens, tobacco smoke, laughter) depict a relatable, hardworking common man with typical human experiences (universal struggles like harsh winters, daily life). This fits.
• Option C: "Solitary life" is not supported (roar of laughter implies community). Eliminate C.
• Option D: The sentence focuses on his upbringing, not strength or respect for nature. Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. an ordinary hardworking man with universal human struggles