Question

select all the correct text in the passage. which three parts of this excerpt from nathaniel hawthornes novel the house of seven gables provide direct characterization? had he been told of a bad air, it might have moved him somewhat; but he was ready to encounter an evil spirit on his own ground. endowed with commonsense, as massive and hard as blocks of granite, fastened together by stern rigidity of purpose, as with iron clamps, he followed out his original design, probably without so much as imagining an objection to it. on the score of delicacy, or any scrupulousness which a finer sensibility might have taught him, the colonel, like most of his breed and generation, was impenetrable. he therefore dug his cellar, and laid the deep foundations of his mansion, on the square of earth whence matthew maule, forty years before, had first swept away the fallen leaves. it was a curious, and, as some people thought, an ominous fact, that, very soon after the workmen began their operations, the spring of water, above mentioned, entirely lost the deliciousness of its pristine quality.

Explanation:

To answer this, one must analyze the text for descriptions that reveal character - traits. Look for words and phrases that describe the character's mindset, actions, or physical - related aspects.

Answer:

1. "Had he been told of a bad air, it might have moved him somewhat; but he was ready to encounter an evil spirit on his own ground. Endowed with commonsense, as massive and hard as blocks of granite, fastened together by stern rigidity of purpose, as with iron clamps, he followed out his original design, probably without so much as imagining an objection to it." - This shows his firmness and practicality.
2. "On the score of delicacy, or any scrupulousness which a finer sensibility might have taught him, the Colonel, like most of his breed and generation, was impenetrable." - Highlights his lack of sensitivity.
3. "It was a curious, and, as some people thought, an ominous fact, that, very soon after the workmen began their operations, the spring of water, above mentioned, entirely lost the deliciousness of its pristine quality." - Although this is about the spring, it can be related to the character as it might imply his impact on the environment around him.