A Nonfiction Account of Hurricane Katrina by Dave Eggers
Question 13 • ELA 11B-CR
Read the excerpt from part 4 of Zeitoun.Todd raised his voice, rolled his eyes. The soldiers around him stood closer, barking admonitions and threats back at him.“Why are we here?” he asked a passing soldier.“You guys are al Qaeda,” the soldier said.Todd laughed derisively, but Zeitoun was startled. He could not have heard right.Why does the author describe this encounter?
Answer
A
to illustrate Todd’s casual rapport with the soldiers
B
to emphasize the weight of racist assumptions
C
to reveal a language barrier between Todd and the soldiers
D
to indicate Todd’s involvement with terrorist groups
Explanation
The soldier labels Todd and Zeitoun as “al Qaeda” without evidence, and Zeitoun is startled by the accusation. This shows how racist assumptions can lead people to view innocent men as terrorists. The encounter emphasizes the harm and weight of those assumptions, rather than a friendly rapport or a language barrier.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.