Sinking and Swaddled

Question

by Beth Gilstrap

She swore she felt the earth drop—like a hitch in an elevator—several miles from her mother’s house. She thought of all those bedlinens agitated, curled, heaped on top of her mother, sunk along with everything else, beams, roof tiles, the acrylic nails her mom wore, the senselessness of waste. Her father had sunk, too. Years ago, in a prefab home out on the lake. One day the lake rose a mite and the ground dove a mite and from what her mother said, her father was better off down there, probably still passed out on his leather couch. Ona had been swaddled and maneuvered into the bow of a rowboat and, as legend tells, slept through the whole affair. Perhaps it was this swaddling she longed for more than anything with all this terrible sinking going on.

"Sinking and Swaddled" from Deadheading and Other Stories © Beth Gilstrap. Published by Red Hen Press, 2021.

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

Which best describes the mood that is created by the language in this passage?

(1 point)
Responses

insecure
insecure

suspenseful
suspenseful

optimistic
optimistic

desperate
desperate
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Answer 1

The mood created by the language in this passage is best described as desperate. The imagery of sinking, loss, and the reflections on her father and mother's situations evoke a sense of hopelessness and longing. The character's desire for swaddling amidst all the chaos suggests a yearning for comfort and safety, further reinforcing the desperate tone.

Answer 2

this is for connexus academy recheck it properly

Answer 3

Upon reevaluating the passage from "Sinking and Swaddled" by Beth Gilstrap, the mood indeed aligns with feelings of hopelessness and a profound sense of loss, which leans toward a desperate atmosphere. The references to sinking, the earth dropping, and the memories of her father contribute to a feeling of instability and longing for security. The contrast between the chaotic events and the desire for the comfort of being swaddled emphasizes this mood of desperation.

So, the best description of the mood created by the language in this passage remains desperate.