Studying Literary Text Unit Test

Question

6 of 186 of 18 Items

Feature

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.

A king that is conquered must see strange looks, So bitter a thing is the heart of man.

1 of 10
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

Which details from this story help develop the story into a satire? Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

Gortsby changes his view after finding a bar of soap on the ground.
Gortsby changes his view after finding a bar of soap on the ground.

Gortsby listens closely to the story that the young man tells of his misfortunes.
Gortsby listens closely to the story that the young man tells of his misfortunes.

The setting, which takes place in Hyde Park at dusk, is dark and mysterious.
The setting, which takes place in Hyde Park at dusk, is dark and mysterious.

The three characters in the story are strangers whose lives cross paths only briefly.
The three characters in the story are strangers whose lives cross paths only briefly.

Gortsby is very cynical and distrusting of the young man he meets.
Gortsby is very cynical and distrusting of the young man he meets.
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Answer 1

In the context of the provided passage from "Dusk" by H.H. Munro (Saki), the two details that help develop the story into a satire are:

1. Gortsby listens closely to the story that the young man tells of his misfortunes.

   • This detail illustrates Gortsby's engagement with the young man's tale, which adds a layer of irony and critique about the nature of trust and social interaction, showcasing the absurdity of people's reliance on narratives without questioning their truth.

2. Gortsby is very cynical and distrusting of the young man he meets.

   • Gortsby's cynical and distrustful attitude encapsulates a satirical view on human relationships and societal norms, emphasizing the disconnect and skepticism that often pervades interactions among individuals in a modern, urban setting.

These details contribute to the satirical tone by highlighting the complexities and inherent absurdities in human behavior and societal expectations.