Question

select the correct answer.
which excerpt from the passage best shapes the author’s perspective on the misfortunes of the working class?
a. “i watched people’s feet from my cellar window; miners’ feet in old shoes; soldiers’ feet, well shod in government leather; the shoes of women with the heels run down; the dilapidated shoes of children; barefooted boys.” (paragraph 16)
b. “he was a man with a heart, who perhaps imagined his own mother imprisoned in a cellar with the sewer rats’ union.” (paragraph 17)
c. “boys,” i said, “go back on your engine. some day it will be all right.” (paragraph 10)
d. “if i were out of this dungeon,” thought i, “i would be fighting the human sewer rats anyway!” (paragraph 12)

Explanation:

Option A shows different types of people's feet and their footwear, highlighting the poor condition of the working - class (miners, women with worn - down heels, children with dilapidated shoes). It gives a visual representation of the hardships and misfortunes of the working class.
Option B focuses on a man's empathy rather than directly on the working - class misfortunes.
Option C is more about giving hope to boys rather than depicting the misfortunes of the working class.
Option D is about the narrator's intention to fight if free, not about the working - class misfortunes.

Answer:

A. "I watched people’s feet from my cellar window, miners’ feet in old shoes; soldiers’ feet, well shod in government leather, the shoes of women with the heels run down; the dilapidated shoes of children, barefooted boys." (paragraph 16)