Jonathan Edwards’s "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" — Unit test
Question 16 • AL-English Language Arts 11 Critical Standards
The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity! I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now.
Answer
I
It encourages readers to experience Thoreau’s work as if they are taking a journey around the world.
I
It illustrates Thoreau’s goal to continue exploring the world around him in a unique and fulfilling way.
I
It encourages readers to embark on their own worldly exploration after they finish Thoreau’s book.
I
It illustrates the physical and emotional difficulties Thoreau had while living in the world of nature.
Explanation
Thoreau compares familiar ways of thinking to well-worn, dusty roads, suggesting that tradition and conformity limit people’s perspective. His preference for traveling “before the mast” and staying “on the deck of the world” shows that he wants to remain exposed to the world and see it in his own way. This supports B: the passage illustrates his goal of continuing to explore the world uniquely and fully.
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