Question

Read the excerpt from "Surrendering” by Ocean Vuong.

Reading and writing, like any other crafts, come to the mind slowly, in pieces. But for me, as an E.S.L. student from a family of illiterate rice farmers, who saw reading as snobby, or worse, the experience of working through a book, even one as simple as "Where the Wild Things Are,” was akin to standing in quicksand, your loved ones corralled at its safe edges, their arms folded in suspicion and doubt as you sink.

What effect does the phrase "their arms folded in suspicion and doubt as you sink” have on the tone of the excerpt?

The author is disappointed at his attempt to learn something new.
The author is motivated by his relatives' suspicion surrounding education.
The author is bitter that his relatives disapprove of something he tried to learn.
The author is indifferent about the treatment he receives from his family members.

Answer 1

The author is bitter that his relatives disapprove of something he tried to learn.

Explanation: The image of loved ones watching with "arms folded in suspicion and doubt as you sink" conveys cold judgment and alienation, creating a bitter, resentful tone rather than motivation, indifference, or merely personal disappointment.