Writing a Literary Analysis through the Lens of a Quotation
Question 14 • TPS-202627-ENG-English 1B-CR
Read the excerpt from a student’s essay.The first mention of Ship-Trap Island already gives the reader an uneasy feeling. Whitney describes the island’s fearsome reputation among the ship’s crew as Rainsford peers into the black night to see any sign of the place. He cannot see the mysterious island, and Whitney knows little about it, other than that it frightens the sailors. Interestingly, it fills Whitney with a sense of dread as well.
Answer
A
Rainsford is not in the mood to listen to Whitney’s irrational assumptions about Ship-Trap Island.
B
Whitney and Rainsford’s discussion of Ship-Trap Island immediately establishes a foreboding mood.
C
Whitney’s description of Ship-Trap Island instantly puts the reader into the right mood to read the story.
D
The story’s overall tone is established by the moods of its characters, Whitney and Rainsford.
Explanation
The excerpt focuses on the conversation about Ship-Trap Island and the fear it creates: the sailors dread it, and Whitney feels uneasy even though he knows little about it. Those details show that the discussion immediately creates a foreboding mood. Choice B captures this idea; the other choices add claims about Rainsford’s attitude or the story’s overall tone that the excerpt does not support.
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