Question

Sinking and Swaddled by Beth Gilstrap The kitchen still held a butcher-block table with a family of plates. Ona piled them one on top of the other and pulled them to her chest, sick with grief, sick with longing at the sight of the dust-free circles left behind. After rinsing each dish in the creek, she dried them with her shirtsleeve and put them back in place. At dusk, fingertips numb, Ona tore sheets of bark from the tree, building herself a papery cradle on the uneven floorboards where she could sleep for years. "Sinking and Swaddled" from Deadheading and Other Stories © Beth Gilstrap. Published by Red Hen Press, 2021. Question Use the passage to answer the question. Based on the imagery in this passage, what conclusion can be drawn about Ona? (1 point) Responses She has lost the will to live. She has lost the will to live. She feels comforted and protected. She feels comforted and protected. She is afraid of what the future holds. She is afraid of what the future holds. She feels alone and exhausted.

Answer 1

Based on the imagery in the passage, the conclusion that can be drawn about Ona is: **She feels alone and exhausted.** The description of her actions—being sick with grief and longing, as well as her effort to rinse and return the dishes to their places—suggests an emotional burden. Additionally, building a papery cradle to sleep on the floorboards indicates a sense of weariness and a coping mechanism in solitude.