Question

text - dependent questions
directions: for the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. part a: which of the following best describes a major theme of the text?

a. men and women should be equal, but they are too different to get along properly.
b. death can be unexpected and can cause anyone to feel sorrow, even for someone they did not love.
c. true happiness comes from within rather than from circumstances outside of one’s control.
d. newfound independence can bring the promise of freedom and happiness into a person’s life.

1. part b: which of the following quotes best supports the answer to part a?

a. “but now there was a dull stare in her eyes... it was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.” (paragraph 8)
b. “there would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. there would be no powerful will bending hers” (paragraph 12)
c. “and yet she had loved him — sometimes. often she had not. what did it matter!” (paragraph 13)
d. “there was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of victory.” (paragraph 18)

1. how does the news of her husband’s death affect mrs. mallard?

a. she is at first overcome with grief, but soon she realizes that his death will allow her to lead an independent life.
b. she pretends to mourn her husband, but she is privately happy to rid herself of the man whom she never loved.
c. she is physically upset by the news, and this distress triggers her heart condition and kills her.
d. she is at first happy to hear that he is dead, but she comes to realize that she will still miss him.

Explanation:

Question 1 (PART A)

To determine the major theme, analyze each option:

• Option A: The text (likely "The Story of an Hour") doesn't focus on men - women equality issues or their inability to get along.
• Option B: The story is not about unexpected death causing sorrow for someone not loved. Mrs. Mallard's reaction is more about freedom than sorrow for the husband.
• Option C: The text shows Mrs. Mallard finding happiness from within (her new - found independence) rather than external circumstances (her marriage). This aligns with the theme of true happiness coming from within.
• Option D: While independence is a part, the main theme is about where happiness comes from, not just the promise of freedom from independence.

We need a quote that supports the theme from Part A (happiness from within/independence).

• Option A: Describes her initial state, not related to happiness from within.
• Option B: Talks about living for herself and no one bending her will, which shows her finding happiness and freedom from within (her own life) rather than external control (her husband's will). This supports the theme.
• Option C: Is about her mixed feelings for her husband, not about happiness from within.
• Option D: Describes her triumphant state, but not as directly related to the source of happiness as Option B.

Analyze Mrs. Mallard's reaction:

• Option A: Initially, she is grief - stricken (as seen in the text with her "dull stare" etc.), but then she realizes his death gives her independence, which matches her character arc.
• Option B: She is not pretending to mourn; her initial grief is real.
• Option C: Her heart condition is triggered at the end by the shock of her husband being alive, not by the initial news of his death.
• Option D: She is not initially happy; she is first overcome with grief.

Answer:

C. True happiness comes from within rather than from circumstances outside of one's control.

Question 2 (PART B)