Reading Question for Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
PROSE FICTION: This passage is adapted from Elizabeth Bishop’s
short story "The Housekeeper" (©1984 by Alice Methfessel).
The details and events in the passage suggest that the friendship between the narrator and Mrs. Sennett would most accurately be described as:
- F. stimulating, marked by a shared love of eccentric adventures.
- G. indifferent, marked by occasional insensitivity to the needs of the other.
- H. considerate, notable for the friends’ exchange of favors.
- J. emotional, based on the friends’ long commitment to share their burdens with one another.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Correct!
The best answer is H. Both characters are considerate and exchange favors: the narrator lends Mrs. Sennett the car (lines 51–56) and Mrs. Sennett gives the narrator many presents (lines 59–60). There is no indication that their relationship has been anything but a relatively short-term, neighborly friendship, which makes both F and J choices that are not supported by the passage. G is contradicted by examples of both characters' sensitivity to the other (lines 11–16, 80).
Incorrect
