Question
Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.
WOMAN ONE
(a little reluctantly)
Well . . . sometimes I go to bed late at night. A couple of times . . . a couple of times I'd come out on the porch and I'd see Mr. Goodman here in the wee hours of the morning standing out in front of his house . . . looking up at the sky.
(she looks around the circle of faces.)
That's right looking up at the sky as if . . . as if he were waiting for something.
(a pause)
As if he were looking for something.
There's a murmur of reaction from the crowd again.
How does Woman One’s claim about Les Goodman affect other elements in the story?
The neighbors become more sympathetic toward Les Goodman.
The neighbors become even more suspicious of Les Goodman.
The neighbors become less frightened of Les Goodman.
The neighbors become more protective of Les Goodman.
WOMAN ONE
(a little reluctantly)
Well . . . sometimes I go to bed late at night. A couple of times . . . a couple of times I'd come out on the porch and I'd see Mr. Goodman here in the wee hours of the morning standing out in front of his house . . . looking up at the sky.
(she looks around the circle of faces.)
That's right looking up at the sky as if . . . as if he were waiting for something.
(a pause)
As if he were looking for something.
There's a murmur of reaction from the crowd again.
How does Woman One’s claim about Les Goodman affect other elements in the story?
The neighbors become more sympathetic toward Les Goodman.
The neighbors become even more suspicious of Les Goodman.
The neighbors become less frightened of Les Goodman.
The neighbors become more protective of Les Goodman.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Woman One’s claim about Les Goodman contributes significantly to the escalating tension and suspicion among the neighbors. By stating that she has seen Goodman standing outside at odd hours, looking up at the sky as if waiting for something, she feeds into the paranoia that has already begun to take root on Maple Street.
As a result, the most accurate effect is: **The neighbors become even more suspicious of Les Goodman.**
This suspicion highlights the theme of fear and the ease with which it can lead to scapegoating and mob mentality, as the neighbors' perceptions of Goodman shift from curiosity to outright fear, further isolating him and intensifying the conflict within the community.
As a result, the most accurate effect is: **The neighbors become even more suspicious of Les Goodman.**
This suspicion highlights the theme of fear and the ease with which it can lead to scapegoating and mob mentality, as the neighbors' perceptions of Goodman shift from curiosity to outright fear, further isolating him and intensifying the conflict within the community.