Question

Twice Told Tales: Footprints on the Sea-Shore
by Nathaniel Hawthorne




A greeting and a homage to the Sea! I descend over its margin, and dip my hand into the wave that meets me, and bathe my brow. That far-resounding roar is Ocean's voice of welcome. His salt breath brings a blessing along with it. Now let us pace together—the reader's fancy arm in arm with mine—this noble beach, which extends a mile or more from that craggy promontory to yonder rampart of broken rocks. In front, the sea; in the rear, a precipitous bank, the grassy verge of which is breaking away, year after year, and flings down its tufts of verdure upon the barrenness below. The beach itself is a broad space of sand, brown and sparkling, with hardly any pebbles intermixed. Near the water's edge there is a wet margin, which glistens brightly in the sunshine, and reflects objects like a mirror; and as we tread along the glistening border, a dry spot flashes around each footstep, but grows moist again, as we lift our feet. In some spots, the sand receives a complete impression of the sole, square toe and all; elsewhere it is of such marble firmness, that we must stamp heavily to leave a print even of the iron-shod heel.

3Question 3
How does the image reflect what is emphasized in the story?

A.
It highlights the water's edge and its wet margin.
B.
It emphasizes the precipitous bank and grassy verge.
C.
It emphasizes the impressions of footprints in the sand.
D.
It highlights Ocean's roaring voice of welcome.
Reset Next

© 2026 Edmentum. All rights reserved.

Answer 1

C. It emphasizes the impressions of footprints in the sand.

The passage repeatedly describes the wet margin, the flashing dry spots around each footstep, and how the sand sometimes takes a complete impression of the sole—so the image of footprints directly reflects that emphasis.