The setting primarily reflects the inability of the fisherman’s wife to bear children. The isolation of their home on the rocky shores, combined with the dull gray skies, emphasizes her loneliness and longing for companionship, which she expresses through her wish for children like the sea birds. The surroundings serve to highlight her desolation and the absence of joy in her life, reinforcing the emotional tone of the excerpt.
n the long distant past, upon the western shores of the Great Water, there lived a fisherman and his wife. They had no children and the nearest village was a day away. They lived alone, surrounded by rocky cliffs and dull, gray skies. Each day, the fisherman would go out upon the Great Water. His wife would sit on the beach watching the birds with their young circling in the sky and riding the waves. As the birds chatted and dove for minnows, she called out, "Oh, sea birds, how I wish I had children like you to keep me company during these long, gray days.”
What role does the setting play in this excerpt?
It suggests the possibility of adventure in another place.
It reflects the inability of the fisherman’s wife to bear children
It describes the dangers the fisherman experiences at sea
It demonstrates the beauty and endless mystery of nature
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