Question

one dollar and eighty - seven cents. that was all. and sixty cents of it was in pennies. pennies that someone had sat at a time, by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until ones cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. three times della counted it. one dollar and eighty - seven cents. and the next day would be christmas.
there was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. so della did it. which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
while the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. a furnished flat at $8 per week. it did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad. in the vestibule below was a letter - box, into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name \mr. james dillingham young.\
the \dillingham\ had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. now, when the income was shrunk to...
assessment questions
2 how does the first paragraph help develop the plot of the story?
a it illustrates how rude della is
b it illustrates how independent della is
c it illustrates how expensive it is to live in london
d it illustrates how concerned with money della is

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the first paragraph (mention of money: one dollar, eighty - seven cents, budgeting, etc.) and the options. Option D says it illustrates how concerned with money Della is. The first paragraph's focus on money (saving, counting) shows Della's concern with money. Option A is wrong as there's no rudeness. Option B is wrong as independence isn't shown. Option C is wrong as it's about Della's money concern, not London's cost.

Answer:

D. It illustrates how concerned with money Della is