Read the excerpt from a short story. The beach teemed with tourists from boardwalk to shore. A canopy of colorful umbrellas covered the sand. Each was preoccupied with his own happy task, and none noticed the figure as it emerged from the surf. Its skin was blistered and raw, and it lumbered awkwardly in the foam. Its hideous eyes hungrily appraised the masses. How does the excerpt exemplify the ideas King describes in "Danse Macabre"?
Answer
A
It forces readers to “grapple” with their own mortality.
B
It allows readers to approach a “forbidden door.”
C
It provides a “single powerful spectacle” for the imagination’s eye.
D
It introduces an unlikely “dancing partner.”
Explanation
The excerpt creates a striking visual scene: a blistered, raw figure lumbering out of the surf while tourists remain unaware. That vivid image gives the imagination a “single powerful spectacle” to picture, which matches choice C. The passage may suggest danger, but it does not directly focus on readers confronting their own mortality.
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