Question

in chapter 2 of farewell to manzanar, jeanne wakatsuki houston and james d. houston write that the secondhand dealer tells mama \he was sure he couldnt pay more than seventeen fifty for that china.\ which sentence best explains the meaning of his statement? mama is trying to trick the dealer into paying more than the china set is actually worth. the dealer only has a little bit of money to spend on mamas china set. the dealer is trying to take advantage of mama by offering her far less than the china set is worth. the dealer is not the one who decides how much he can spend on the goods he buys.

Explanation:

The dealer's statement of not paying more than a certain amount implies he is undervaluing the china set. It's a common tactic in second - hand dealing to lowball the price, taking advantage of the seller. There's no indication Mama is tricking the dealer (no evidence of her actions to suggest that). The statement isn't about the dealer's total money available (just the maximum for this item). And it's clear the dealer is making the offer, so he is deciding the price for this purchase.

Answer:

The dealer is trying to take advantage of Mama by offering her far less than the china set is worth.