Question

Sandra walked into her homeroom class. Actually, it wasn't her homeroom class. Her homeroom class was back in Philly, with all her friends, with people she had grown up with, with people she had known all her life.
This place could have been a foreign country. No one was familiar. Everyone stared at her as if she was speaking another language. She heard kids snicker. Some whispered.
Even the teacher seemed different from all the teachers she had ever known. Mr. Paulson was his name. It was odd for her to have a male teacher since all the teachers she had in Philly were women.
Her heart pounded in her chest like a cricket in an empty coke can. She thought the beating could be heard over each step she took to the front of the room. Mr. Paulson had asked her to go to the front of the room to introduce herself to the class. When she finally reached the front, she could barely look out at the rest of the class. They were all wearing red shirts with the school's name and logo. That was another thing Sandra hadn't been prepared for, school uniforms. Back in Philly, she could have worn anything she wanted, but here at Mt. Falls, everyone wore the same thing. She just knew what the kids were thinking—she's too good to wear a uniform; she thinks she's better than us!
She blurred her eyes intentionally, so she wouldn't have to look at them closely. She was scared she'd read their lips. Just as she started to speak, someone laughed. It threw her off, and she couldn't even remember her name. Immediately, her face turned as red as the shirts of her classmates. Then, she realized she wasn't blurring their faces out intentionally—she couldn't adjust her eyes back to normal. It was too late, and she teetered forward and fainted.
When she awoke in the nurse's office, she thought it had all been one bad dream. Then, she saw Mr. Paulson. It was all real. Suddenly, her eyes blurred again.
3
How are the main characters in "Best Foot Forward" and "Back Home" different?
A.
The narrator in the poem is more secure with other peoples' opinions; Sandra in "Back Home" is insecure about what others think.
B.
The narrator in the poem has no friends while Sandra in "Back Home" has many friends at her new school.
C.
The narrator in the poem is insecure with other peoples' opinions; Sandra in "Back Home" is secure with what others think.
D.
The narrator in the poem is obnoxious and talkative; Sandra in "Back Home" is quiet and friendly.

Answer 1

A.

The poem’s speaker (in "Best Foot Forward") presents a confident, take-charge attitude, whereas Sandra in "Back Home" is anxious and worried about what others think—her pounding heart, worrying about uniforms and classmates' reactions, and fainting in front of the class all show her insecurity.