Question
Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.
STEVE
(raising his voice)
There's something you can do, Charlie. You could go home and keep your mouth shut. You could quit strutting around like a self-appointed hanging judge and just climb into bed and forget it.
CHARLIE
You sound real anxious to have that happen, Steve. I think we better keep our eye on you too!
DON
(as if he were taking the bit in his teeth, takes a hesitant step to the front)
I think everything might as well come out now.
(he turns toward Steve.)
Your wife's done plenty of talking, Steve, about how odd you are!
CHARLIE
(picking this up, his eyes widening)
Go ahead, tell us what she's said.
58. LONG SHOT – STEVE 58.
As he walks toward them from across the street.
STEVE
Go ahead, what's my wife said? Let's get it all out. Let's pick out every idiosyncrasy of every single man, woman, and child on the street. And then we might as well set up some kind of a kangaroo court. How about a firing squad at dawn, Charlie, so we can get rid of all the suspects. Narrow them down. Make it easier for you.
DON
There's no need gettin' so upset, Steve. It's just that . . . well . . . Myra's talked about how there's been plenty of nights you spent hours down in your basement workin' on some kind of radio or something. Well, none of us have ever seen that radio—
How does Steve’s attempt to reason with his neighbors affect other elements of the story?
The neighbors calm down and go home for a while.
The neighbors become suspicious of him as well.
The neighbors elect Steve their leader.
The neighbors become a wild mob.
STEVE
(raising his voice)
There's something you can do, Charlie. You could go home and keep your mouth shut. You could quit strutting around like a self-appointed hanging judge and just climb into bed and forget it.
CHARLIE
You sound real anxious to have that happen, Steve. I think we better keep our eye on you too!
DON
(as if he were taking the bit in his teeth, takes a hesitant step to the front)
I think everything might as well come out now.
(he turns toward Steve.)
Your wife's done plenty of talking, Steve, about how odd you are!
CHARLIE
(picking this up, his eyes widening)
Go ahead, tell us what she's said.
58. LONG SHOT – STEVE 58.
As he walks toward them from across the street.
STEVE
Go ahead, what's my wife said? Let's get it all out. Let's pick out every idiosyncrasy of every single man, woman, and child on the street. And then we might as well set up some kind of a kangaroo court. How about a firing squad at dawn, Charlie, so we can get rid of all the suspects. Narrow them down. Make it easier for you.
DON
There's no need gettin' so upset, Steve. It's just that . . . well . . . Myra's talked about how there's been plenty of nights you spent hours down in your basement workin' on some kind of radio or something. Well, none of us have ever seen that radio—
How does Steve’s attempt to reason with his neighbors affect other elements of the story?
The neighbors calm down and go home for a while.
The neighbors become suspicious of him as well.
The neighbors elect Steve their leader.
The neighbors become a wild mob.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Steve’s attempt to reason with his neighbors ultimately leads to their growing suspicion of him. Instead of diffusing the tension, his defensive stance and the way he challenges their accusations only exacerbates the sense of paranoia among the group. The neighbors begin to scrutinize him more closely, hinting at a breakdown in trust and community. This dynamic not only heightens the atmosphere of fear but also illustrates the theme of how easily people can turn against one another in times of crisis, reflecting the fragility of social bonds. Therefore, the correct answer is: **The neighbors become suspicious of him as well.**