Question 19 • Hopkins FA American Literature (2026-2027)
Read the excerpt from "Harrison Bergeron."“Ladies and gentlemen—” said the ballerina, reading the bulletin. She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two-hundred-pound men.What is ironic about this excerpt?
Answer
A
The ballerina is described as beautiful, but she is actually hideous.
B
The news bulletin being read on the television is about Harrison.
C
The ballerina is able to read the news bulletin flawlessly while wearing a mask and handicap bags.
D
The handicaps devised to conceal the ballerina’s strength and beauty actually accentuate them.
Explanation
The handicaps are meant to hide the ballerina’s beauty and physical advantages. Instead, the narrator can tell that she is extraordinarily beautiful, strong, and graceful despite her hideous mask and enormous handicap bags. This contrast is ironic: the devices meant to conceal her qualities actually draw attention to them. The correct choice is D, “The handicaps devised to conceal the ballerina’s strength and beauty actually accentuate them.”
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