Question

mr. bueller asked if anyone knew french. victor raised his hand, wanting to impress teresa. the teacher beamed and said, \très bien. parlez-vous français?\
victor didnt know what to say. the teacher wet his lips and asked something else in french. the room grew silent. victor felt all eyes staring at him. he tried to bluff his way out by making noises that sounded french.
\la me vava me con le grandma,\ he said uncertainly.
mr. bueller, wrinkling his face in curiosity, asked him to speak up.
great rosebushes of red bloomed on victors cheeks. a river of nervous sweat ran down his palms. he felt awful. teresa sat a few desks away, no doubt thinking he was a fool. without looking at mr. bueller, victor mumbled, \frenchie oh wewe gee in september.\
-\seventh grade,\
gary soto

when the classroom grows quiet and everyone stares at victor, how does this change in setting influence his feelings? answer by completing the sentence below.
\victor feels when the room grows silent and everyone stares at him.\

Explanation:

Analyze the setting change

The passage describes a shift in the classroom environment. Initially, Victor raises his hand to impress Teresa. However, when the teacher speaks French to him, Victor does not know how to respond. The text states, "The room grew silent. Victor felt all eyes staring at him." This change from a normal classroom dynamic to absolute silence and focused attention represents a high-pressure shift in the setting.

Connect setting to character feelings

We must evaluate how this silent, staring environment impacts Victor's internal state. The text provides direct evidence of his physical and emotional reactions to this pressure:

• He tries to "bluff his way out" by making up fake French noises.
• "Great rosebushes of red bloomed on Victor's cheeks," which is a physical metaphor for blushing intensely due to embarrassment.
• "A river of nervous sweat ran down his palms."
• "He felt awful."
• He worries that Teresa, sitting nearby, is "no doubt thinking he was a fool."

Using Literary Comprehension and Character Motivation, we see his desire to impress has backfired, leaving him deeply embarrassed, anxious, and self-conscious.

Determine the blank value

The prompt asks to complete the sentence: "Victor feels [blank] when the room grows silent and everyone stares at him."
Based on the textual evidence of blushing ("rosebushes of red"), sweating ("nervous sweat"), and feeling "awful" because he thinks he looks like a "fool" in front of his crush, the most accurate descriptors for his feelings are embarrassed, anxious, self-conscious, or humiliated. In the context of a school reading comprehension exercise, "embarrassed" or "anxious" perfectly captures this state.

Answer:

When the classroom grows quiet and everyone stares at some point at Victor, how does this change in setting influence his feelings? Answer by completing the sentence below.

"Victor feels <blank>embarrassed and anxious</blank> when the room grows silent and everyone stares at him."