Question
Read the following brief passage from Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton.
Borrowing was out of the question: six months before [Ethan] had given his only security to raise funds for necessary repairs to the mill, and he knew that without security no one at Starkfield would lend him ten dollars. The inexorable facts closed in on him like prison-warders handcuffing a convict. There was no way out—none. He was a prisoner for life, and now his one ray of light was to be extinguished.
Which of the following best describes the mood created by the above sentences?
(1 point)
Responses
mild regret about a past mistake
mild regret about a past mistake
calm and determination
calm and determination
deep sadness and despair
deep sadness and despair
cheerfulness and hope
Borrowing was out of the question: six months before [Ethan] had given his only security to raise funds for necessary repairs to the mill, and he knew that without security no one at Starkfield would lend him ten dollars. The inexorable facts closed in on him like prison-warders handcuffing a convict. There was no way out—none. He was a prisoner for life, and now his one ray of light was to be extinguished.
Which of the following best describes the mood created by the above sentences?
(1 point)
Responses
mild regret about a past mistake
mild regret about a past mistake
calm and determination
calm and determination
deep sadness and despair
deep sadness and despair
cheerfulness and hope
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The mood created by the passage is best described as **deep sadness and despair**. The imagery of being a "prisoner for life" and the extinguishing of the "one ray of light" conveys a strong sense of hopelessness and isolation.