Question

There was a woman among us, a certain Mrs. Schächter. She was in her fifties and her ten-year-old son was with her, crouched in a corner. Her husband and two older sons had been deported with the first transport, by mistake. The separation had totally shattered her.

How does the word shattered affect the tone of the excerpt?

The word suggests a tragic tone.
The word suggests a fearful tone.
The word suggests a pathetic tone.
The word suggests a nervous tone.

Answer 1

The word suggests a tragic tone.

"Shattered" conveys emotional devastation and deep sorrow from the separation, evoking tragedy and pity rather than fear or mere nervousness.