Question

Read the excerpt from "Surrendering” by Ocean Vuong.

When I entered kindergarten, I was, in a sense, immigrating all over again, except this time into English. Like any American child, I quickly learned my ABCs, thanks to the age-old melody (one I still sing rapidly to myself when I forget whether "M” comes before "N”). Within a few years, I had become fluent—but only in speech, not in the written word.

What mood is created by the phrase "immigrating all over again, except this time into English” in the excerpt?

embarrassed
confused
isolated
apprehensive

Answer 1

isolated

The metaphor of "immigrating all over again" conveys a sense of being separate or cut off from others—entering a new language/culture and feeling like an outsider—so the mood is one of isolation.