Read the excerpt from “The Monkey's Paw.”But the days passed, and expectation gave place to resignation – the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes miscalled, apathy. Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word, for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were long to weariness.
Answer
A
the hope that Herbert will come home
B
the use of such words as “expectation” and “hardly exchanged”
C
the number of days that pass after Herbert’s death
D
the use of such words as “hopeless resignation” and “weariness”
Explanation
The words “hopeless resignation” and “weariness” emphasize the parents’ deep grief and exhaustion after Herbert’s death. This word choice creates a sorrowful, bleak mood. The passage says expectation has given way to resignation, so it does not suggest hope that Herbert will return.
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