Question

Read the lines from The Elements of San Joaquín.

In Fresno the fog is passing

The young thief prying a window screen,

Graying my hair that falls

And goes unfound, my fingerprints

Slowly growing a fur of dust—



One hundred years from now

There should be no reason to believe

I lived.

Which statement is a theme in this excerpt?

The plight of seasonal workers will change in the future.
Many seasonal workers want to keep what they do a secret.
Some older seasonal workers would like to forget their youth.
Seasonal workers have nothing to leave behind when they are gone.

Answer 1

Seasonal workers have nothing to leave behind when they are gone.

Explanation: The speaker describes fingerprints being covered by dust and says "One hundred years from now / There should be no reason to believe / I lived," which suggests a sense of leaving no lasting trace.