After the war I met my husband, Harold, whom I married in 1947 and raised four children with. Harold provided me with a wonderful, secure life that I didn’t know existed; his family became my family. But the hole inside me became deeper as I failed to find news of my mother no matter how many hours I spent poring over historical documents and newspapers at the library. The one person I didn’t try to find was William, for fear that the news would ruin my new idyllic life and force me to board another train to desolation. As the years went on and memories of my brother haunted me, Harold encouraged me to try to locate William. What effect does the author’s use of connotative language have on the meaning of the passage?

Question

By using dramatic words such as “deeper,” “ruin,” and “desolation,” the author foreshadows the narrator’s bleak future.

By using negative words such as “hole,” “fear,” “poring,” and “haunted,” the author reveals the narrator’s emotional pain.

By using neutral words such as “war,” “news,” “life,” and “brother,” the author emphasizes the narrator’s numbness.

By using positive words such as “wonderful,” “secure,” and “idyllic,” the author illustrates the narrator’s perfect happiness.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

By using negative words such as “hole,” “fear,” “poring,” and “haunted,” the author reveals the narrator’s emotional pain.

This choice highlights the emotional struggle and psychological impact of the narrator's past, suggesting that despite her seemingly stable life with Harold, there is an underlying sorrow connected to her unresolved feelings about her mother and her brother William. The chosen words contribute to a sense of longing, fear, and inner turmoil, emphasizing how her past continues to affect her present.