Question

Read the following play and answer the question that follows.“The Garden Gate”Characters:Lena – A hardworking, artistic teenage girl.Papa – Her father, devoted to tradition and family.Mr. Rivera – The neighbor, encouraging Lena to pursue her dreams.Abuela – Lena’s wise and gentle grandmother.Scene: The backyard garden of a small home. Rows of vegetables line the edges. The sun is low in the sky. Papa is digging near the tomato plants. Lena enters, holding a letter.Lena: Papa, I got a letter today—from the scholarship board.Papa: (not looking up) Another contest?Lena: Not just a contest. I’ve been accepted. The international scholars program. (She hands him the letter. He reads slowly.) They want me to study in Florence. For a year.Papa: (pausing) Italy. So far away.Lena: I know. But it’s a dream, Papa. They chose only ten students in the country.Papa: And what of this land? Of your Abuela? Of me?Lena: You taught me to work hard. To dream. This is the result.Papa: (folding the letter) Dreams are not always meant to be chased, hija. Some grow best when they stay rooted.Abuela enters slowly from the porch, sitting on a bench nearby.Abuela: Lena, come sit.Lena: (kneeling beside her) Abuela, what would you do?Abuela: (smiling) When I was your age, I dreamed of being a nurse. But I stayed. I had your father. This garden. This life. (beat) But sometimes, I wonder what Florence would have looked like.Papa: (quietly) You don’t regret it?Abuela: No. But that doesn’t mean you have to make the same choice.(Abuela exits slowly. Papa returns to the soil. Lena stands alone center stage.)Lena’s Soliloquy:(to herself) They say roots give strength. But what if they keep you from growing? I love this earth—this life. But sometimes, love asks you to stay small. I want to fly, to paint colors the world hasn’t seen. Yet I see Papa’s hands—cracked, steady, always giving.If I go, am I ungrateful? If I stay, am I unfinished?(Lights dim as Lena gazes toward the horizon.) In “The Garden Gate,” Lena struggles with whether to pursue her scholarship abroad or remain with her family. What central theme can best be inferred from her conflict and Abuela’s advice? (1 point)ResponsesTrue happiness comes only from following in your parents’ footsteps.True happiness comes only from following in your parents’ footsteps.Balancing family loyalty and personal dreams is a challenge that requires courage. Balancing family loyalty and personal dreams is a challenge that requires courage. The sacrifices of past generations should never be questioned by the young.The sacrifices of past generations should never be questioned by the young.Leaving home always leads to regret and isolation.Leaving home always leads to regret and isolation.Skip to navigation

Answer 1

Balancing family loyalty and personal dreams is a challenge that requires courage.

Explanation: Lena’s conflict and Abuela’s line (“that doesn’t mean you have to make the same choice”) show that the play highlights weighing family ties against pursuing personal aspirations and needing courage to choose.