Question

use this synopsis of a character and conflict in a story to answer the question.
the main characters mariko and felice break a window while they are playing baseball. they argue back and forth about what to do, but ultimately mariko wins out by leaving a note for the owner of the house so they can help pay for the damages. the girls wait anxiously to hear from the owner of the house. in the end, the story concludes with a tornado whipping through the area and leveling all of the houses in the city except for the one with the broken window.
which is the best way to interpret how the central conflict was resolved in the story?
(1 point)
o the central conflict is resolved effectively since the girls resolve their differences and make a decision to leave a note.
o the central conflict does not build throughout the plot but instead ends abruptly.
o the central conflict does not have a resolution with this ending, but rather ends in an ironic way.
o the central conflict is introduced at the end with the appearance of the tornado and is resolved when only one house is left standing after the storm

Explanation:

The story's central conflict is about the girls' actions (breaking the window and dealing with the aftermath). The tornado at the end is an external event that resolves the situation in an unexpected (ironic) way as it destroys most houses except the one with the broken window. This means the initial conflict (about the broken window and their responsibility) is resolved in an ironic manner due to the tornado. The other options are incorrect: the conflict is resolved (so "does not have a resolution" is wrong), it builds through the plot (so "does not build" is wrong), and it's not resolved by the girls' decision (as the tornado is the key resolver).

Answer:

The central conflict does not have a resolution with this ending, but rather ends in an ironic way.