Question

Read the excerpt from “The Railroad Earth.”

And the Bible on my desk next to the peanut butter, the lettuce, the raisin bread, the crack in the plaster, the stiff-with-old dust lace drape now no longer laceable. . . . My little room at 6 in the comfy dawn (at 4:30) and before me all that time, that fresh-eyed time for a little coffee to boil water on my hot plate, throw some coffee in, stir it, French style, slowly carefully pour it in my white tin cup, throw sugar in. . . .

What does this excerpt suggest about the narrator?
He lives in miserable conditions and greatly suffers.
He spends too much money on food and coffee.
He is content even though he lives in a run-down building.
He has overslept and as a result will be late for work.

Answer 1

He is content even though he lives in a run-down building.

Explanation: the details (old plaster, dusty drape, tin cup, hot plate, simple food) show a humble, worn environment, while phrases like “comfy dawn” and the slow, deliberate coffee ritual suggest peaceful acceptance, not misery or overspending.