The Reward of Enterprise

Question

by Ward Muir

It was overwhelming. Never in all my life have I attained to a rapture comparable with that bathe in mid-Atlantic. I knew, even at the time, that it would be unforgettable. I had aspired to be able to say that I had swum in water three miles deep . . . oh, never mind what vain boast I had promised myself. Boasting was forgotten. I was experiencing. I was surrendered to an ecstasy, an enchantment, a glee, beyond expression grandiose and delicious. I lolled in the pellucid water, not troubling to swim. I let myself go, in those dizzy soarings and sinkings; I abandoned myself to this vast and beautiful force; I felt at once infinitely little and infinitely great.

"The Reward of Enterprise" by Ward Muir

Question
Use the passage from “The Reward of Enterprise to answer the question.

How do the words rapture and ecstasy affect the tone of the story?

(1 point)
Responses
which answer is correct and why
They indicate the narrator’s uncertainty about his choice to go swimming.
They indicate the narrator’s uncertainty about his choice to go swimming.

They suggest the narrator’s acceptance of the situation in which he finds himself.
They suggest the narrator’s acceptance of the situation in which he finds himself.

They provide a contrast that shows how the narrator’s mood changes over time.
They provide a contrast that shows how the narrator’s mood changes over time.

They show that the narrator is experiencing great pleasure throughout the passage.
They show that the narrator is experiencing great pleasure throughout the passage.
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Answer 1

The correct answer is: They show that the narrator is experiencing great pleasure throughout the passage.

Reasoning: The words "rapture" and "ecstasy" convey intense feelings of joy and pleasure, indicating that the narrator is deeply immersed in the beauty and experience of swimming in the ocean. Rather than expressing uncertainty or a change in mood, these terms highlight a profound satisfaction and enjoyment, enhancing the overall tone of exhilaration and delight in the passage.