Suburban Man 1 walks over to his neighbor's house, hedge shears in hand.]

Question

Suburban Man 1: Hello there, neighbor! I see you're edging your lawn.
That's a fine, fine cutting tool you have. May I ask where you bought it?
Suburban Man 2 turns from cutting an exact edge where his grass meets his driveway.]
Suburban Man 2: Online.
[Suburban Man 1 squints, suspicious, and then he masks his face with a smile that doesn't meet his eyes.)
Suburban Man 1: Online where? Plenty of places to pick up garden tools online. Take these shears. holds them in the air while Suburban Man 2 keeps his head down while edging]. They are top-of-the-line,
British hedging shears. You know the masterful hedgerows in England, right? Well, I have just the tool to make that happen. See here, you could set a dinner plate on top of my hedge and eat a five-course meal off of it.
Suburban Man 2 does not look up from his edging.] Actually, you could lay out a table setting of twelve on top of my hedge, serve a five-course meal, and have a case of the finest drinks on there. Once again,
Suburban Man 2 does not look up from his edging, making Suburban Man 1 irritated.] Come to think of it, since such fine hedges are found in England, why not lay out a high tea on top of my hedge, with the dinner setting, and the case of drinks. That's right: all the finest cakes, scones, cookies, silverware, all here on top of my hedge....

What does this satirical scene criticize?
(1 point)
• attention to appearances and material things
• the relationship dynamics between the two characters
how people live in the suburbs
• how much the characters value gardening

Answer 1

The satirical scene critiques attention to appearances and material things. Suburban Man 1 is clearly trying to show off his superior tool, emphasizing its quality and the perfection of his hedge, while Suburban Man 2 counters with an exaggerated boast about his own hedge, suggesting that both characters are overly concerned with maintaining a certain image and status within their suburban environment.