James Baldwin's Take on the Effects of Prejudice — Quiz
Question 7 • English Language Arts 11
Read the sentence from Notes of a Native Son . Hatred, which could destroy so much, never failed to destroy the man who hated and this was an immutable law. Which best explains why Baldwin uses the word “immutable”?
Answer
A
to emphasize the inescapable nature of the law he describes
B
to compare the law he describes with laws based on morality
C
to contrast the law he describes with other laws of human nature
D
to de-emphasize the serious nature of the law he describes
Explanation
“Immutable” means unable to change. Baldwin uses it to show that the law he describes—that hatred destroys the person who hates—is inescapable and always holds. The choice about morality is not supported by the sentence, and “de-emphasize” gives the opposite of the word’s effect.
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