Question

(6) It was unusual as a dream because it was full of smells, and he never dreamt smells. First a marshy smell, there to the left of the trail the swamps began already, the quaking bogs from which no one ever returned. But the reek lifted, and instead there came a dark, fresh composite fragrance, like the night under which he moved, in flight from the Aztecs. And it was all so natural, he had to run from the Aztecs who had set out on their manhunt, and his sole chance was to find a place to hide in the deepest part of the forest, taking care not to lose the narrow trail which only they, the Motecas, knew.

What can the reader infer about the main character, based on how he reacts to the change in setting in paragraph 6?
A
He knows exactly where he is and what is happening.
B
He understands that he is still asleep in the hospital.
C
He needs a little time to figure out his new situation.
D
He recognizes that the motorcycle accident was a dream.

Answer 1

C

He’s disoriented and takes time to adjust — the changing smells and scenes make him slow to grasp the situation, so he must work out where he is and what’s happening.