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Dusk
by H.H. Munro (Saki)

Norman Gortsby sat on a bench in the Park, with his back to a strip of bush-planted sward, fenced by the park railings, and the Row fronting him across a wide stretch of carriage drive. Hyde Park Corner, with its rattle and hoot of traffic, lay immediately to his right. It was some thirty minutes past six on an early March evening, and dusk had fallen heavily over the scene, dusk mitigated by some faint moonlight and many street lamps. There was a wide emptiness over road and sidewalk, and yet there were many unconsidered figures moving silently through the half-light, or dotted unobtrusively on bench and chair, scarcely to be distinguished from the shadowed gloom in which they sat.

The scene pleased Gortsby and harmonised with his present mood. Dusk, to his mind, was the hour of the defeated. Men and women, who had fought and lost, who hid their fallen fortunes and dead hopes as far as possible from the scrutiny of the curious, came forth in this hour of gloaming, when their shabby clothes and bowed shoulders and unhappy eyes might pass unnoticed, or, at any rate, unrecognised.

"Dusk" by H.H. Munro ("Saki")

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

What does the author's tone tell the reader about Norman Gortsby?

(1 point)
Responses which answer is correct and why

He is unhappy with his life and has many regrets.
He is unhappy with his life and has many regrets.

He considers himself to be superior to those around him.
He considers himself to be superior to those around him.

He is too proud to admit that he envies those around him.
He is too proud to admit that he envies those around him.

He is bitter toward others because he is so lonely.
He is bitter toward others because he is so lonely.
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Answer 1

The correct answer is:

He considers himself to be superior to those around him.

The author's tone suggests that Gortsby finds a sense of satisfaction in observing the lonely and defeated figures around him during dusk. His perception of dusk as the "hour of the defeated" indicates that he views himself as separate or above those who have been reduced to hiding their misfortunes. This perspective implies a sense of superiority, as he comfortably reflects on the struggles of others rather than confronting his own situation. The emphasis on the way Gortsby perceives the world—his interpretation of the scene as one that harmonizes with his mood—also reinforces the idea that he looks down upon those around him, finding solace in their anonymity and struggles.