Read the excerpt from Walden . Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail. Which best describes the purpose of the “thumb-nail” imagery?
Answer
A
It emphasizes Thoreau’s belief that people should carefully record their accounts.
B
It illustrates Thoreau’s belief that most people waste their time attending to their bodies’ needs.
C
It illustrates Thoreau’s belief that a person’s responsibilities should include some manual labor.
D
It emphasizes Thoreau’s belief that people should carefully choose their commitments.
Explanation
Thoreau urges readers to reduce their affairs from “a hundred or a thousand” to “two or three,” and to count only “half a dozen” things. Keeping accounts on a thumbnail suggests keeping life’s concerns small and manageable, rather than tracking many obligations. This supports the idea that people should carefully choose their commitments, not simply record them carefully.
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