Question

such a wild look in his eyes that I was in fear for my life.

YOUNG MAN: (Running toward ELI and jumping up and down excitedly.) Eli? Is it really you?

ELI: Excuse me, do I know you?

YOUNG MAN: No, but I know you! I've finally found you! Hey everyone! (Motioning toward the audience to join him.) I've found Eli! I've finally found him. Over here! (ELI runs back to JOSIE, pantomiming fending off a crowd of people. YOUNG MAN exits.)

ELI: Everywhere I went, I was suddenly being pursued by strangers who screamed and yelled my name.

JOSIE: Good heavens!

ELI: It was all I could do to stay one step ahead of the mob. I ran home and locked the door, but they followed me and started knocking. But then I made another wish—

JOSIE: (Suddenly realizing what is going on.) You wished that they would go away.

ELI: (Grasps JOSIE's shoulders and looks directly into her eyes.) I wished that they would go away, and they did. Somehow that old man has the power to grant wishes, and I frivolously wasted two. But, now. Now, I have one wish left, and we have to be very careful how we use it.

JOSIE: What will we wish for? How will we decide? When will we make such a wish? Do you really think such a thing to be true? Who is this old man? Why did he come to you?

ELI: Darling, please. I need time to think. (Shaking his head and beginning to pace in a small circle.)

JOSIE: What if we wish for more wishes? Our good fortune would be endless. Oh, Eli, this is so exciting!

ELI: Please. I just wish you'd be quiet long enough for me to think!

JOSIE: I'll call my mother and—(JOSIE continues to speak, but her voice is silent.)

ELI: Oh no! Josie! (JOSIE begins to panic. Her hands fly to her throat.) Our final wish! There must be more left. I wish for my wife to speak again! (JOSIE is still silent as tears begin to stream down her face. ELI embraces her.) I wish for her silence to end! I wish for everything to return as it had been! Oh, no! The old man! I'll find the old man! He has to give me another wish! He has to fix this!

(ELI rushes out the door. JOSIE tries to call out to ELI, but of course, her voice is silent.)

END OF SCENE


Why does Josie respond with tears at the end of the text?


She is crying with joy because Eli has made her wish come true.


She realizes that her talking has caused Eli to waste the final wish.


She is resentful because she wanted to make the final wish, not Eli.


She is crying because Eli's final wish was for himself, not for her.

Answer 1

She realizes that her talking has caused Eli to waste the final wish. Eli panics when her voice goes silent and uses the last wish to restore it, but it fails — Josie cries at the realization that his final wish has been wasted.