Question

Read this excerpt from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

It took me nine hours to make, and I had thought about giving it to Sonny, the homeless person who I sometimes see standing outside the Alliance Française, because he puts me in heavy boots, or maybe to Lindy, the neat old woman who volunteers to give tours at the Museum of Natural History, so I could be something special to her, or even just to someone in a wheelchair. But instead I gave it to Mom. She said it was the best gift she’d ever received.

Which word from this excerpt most reveals the tone?
standing, because it implies alertness
heavy, because it communicates the narrator’s desperation
neat, because it reveals the narrator’s whimsical fancy
special, because it implies confidence

Answer 1

special — because the narrator’s desire to “be something special” to someone reveals a tender, longing/sentimental tone rather than the neutral or literal senses of the other words.