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When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.
She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her. A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial.
She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.
Question
Use the paragraphs to answer the question.
Why is the setting important in this middle section of the story?
(1 point)
Responses
Mrs. Mallard’s honesty allows the reader to see that she is unaffected by her husband’s death.
Mrs. Mallard’s honesty allows the reader to see that she is unaffected by her husband’s death.
Mrs. Mallard can be honest with herself because she is alone.
Mrs. Mallard can be honest with herself because she is alone.
The isolation Mrs. Mallard feels is conveyed through her refusal to talk to anyone.
The isolation Mrs. Mallard feels is conveyed through her refusal to talk to anyone.
The switch to a first-person narrator reveals how much Mrs. Mallard disliked her husband.
The switch to a first-person narrator reveals how much Mrs. Mallard disliked her husband.
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1 answer
The most appropriate response to the question regarding the importance of the setting in this middle section of the story is:
Mrs. Mallard can be honest with herself because she is alone.
This response highlights how her solitude creates a space for her inner thoughts and feelings to emerge, allowing her to experience a mix of emotions following her husband's death. Her isolation is pivotal in enabling her to confront her feelings of freedom and joy alongside her grief.
