Question

Read this excerpt from The Land.

Eventually there came the time on a late summer afternoon just before my twelfth birthday when folks came to visit and it was my mama, not my daddy, who ordered me to the kitchen. Robert was now expected to stay at my daddy’s table, and no amount of protest on his part changed that. My mama set a lone plate for me on the sideboard in the kitchen. That was truly the first time I felt unwanted in my daddy’s family. My daddy hadn’t even bothered to tell me himself not to sit at his table. He had left that to my mama, and I resented not only him for it, but her too.

What is the best reason why this excerpt is important to the story?

It develops the characterization of Paul’s mother.
It addresses the minor theme dealing with loneliness.
It provides specific details about the historical setting.
It addresses the major theme dealing with discrimination.

Answer 1

The best reason why this excerpt is important to the story is that **it addresses the major theme dealing with discrimination**. The passage illustrates Paul's feelings of exclusion and being unwanted within his own family, highlighting the dynamics of a discriminatory environment where family ties are influenced by societal norms and expectations. This moment serves to emphasize the impact of such discrimination on Paul’s identity and emotional state.