Question

read the excerpt from \the lady maids bell.\

i had been near a week at brympton before i saw my master, and a change passed over the whole household. it was plain she took uncommon care with the dinner that night, but she was with her; and mr. wace, the butler, a serious, slow-spoken man, ready for a funeral. he was a great bible-reader, mr. wace, and command; but that day he used such dreadful language to me it was all out of isaiah; and i noticed that whenever the

which best describes a gothic element in the excerpt and the

the arrival of mr. brympton causes fear, revealing that
mrs. blinder prepares a dinner well, revealing that cooking
mr. wace reads the bible, revealing that religion is no longer
the servants do not like the master, revealing that having

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt

The text describes a sudden shift in the household atmosphere upon the master's arrival: "I had been near a week at Brympton before I saw my master... and a change passed over the whole household." The butler, Mr. Wace, looks "ready for a funeral" and uses "dreadful language" from Isaiah. This sudden shift to gloom, dread, and funeral-like solemnity upon the master's return introduces a classic gothic atmosphere of fear and foreboding.

Evaluate the options

We evaluate the visible portions of the multiple-choice options:

• Option 1: "The arrival of Mr. Brympton causes fear, revealing that..." This directly connects the master's arrival to the sudden change of mood, fear, and dread in the household, which is a key gothic element.
• Option 2: "Mrs. Blinder prepares a dinner well..." Cooking dinner is a mundane household chore, not a gothic element.
• Option 3: "Mr. Wace reads the Bible..." While religious references can appear in gothic works, reading the Bible itself is not a gothic element here; rather, his "dreadful language" and funeral-like appearance are symptoms of the fear caused by the master.
• Option 4: "The servants do not like the master..." This is a social dynamic rather than a gothic element of dread or terror.

Therefore, the first option is the best description of a gothic element in this passage.

Connect to literary analysis

Using Literary Analysis, we identify how authors use setting and character reactions to build suspense. The sudden change in the household's mood to one of dread and funeral-like solemnity upon the master's arrival is a classic gothic convention designed to evoke fear and anticipation of the supernatural or tragic.

Answer:

• (A) The arrival of Mr. Brympton causes fear, revealing that master-servant relationships are tense. (Correct answer)
• (B) Mrs. Blinder prepares a dinner well, revealing that cooking is a highly valued skill.
• (C) Mr. Wace reads the Bible, revealing that religion is no longer comforting to him.
• (D) The servants do not like the master, revealing that having a master is an unpleasant experience.