Use the excerpt from H. H. Munro’s story “Dusk” to answer the question.

Question

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.
Which possible theme is supported by the details in the text?

Responses

People’s moods often change with the time of day.
People’s moods often change with the time of day. - no response given

It takes great determination to rise above difficult circumstances.
It takes great determination to rise above difficult circumstances. - no response given

Some people take pleasure in the unhappiness of others.
Some people take pleasure in the unhappiness of others. - no response given

Modern life can lead people to become disconnected from each other.
Modern life can lead people to become disconnected from each other. - no response given

Answer 1

The theme that is most supported by the details in the text is:

People’s moods often change with the time of day.

In the excerpt, Norman Gortsby finds a sense of harmony in his surroundings during the dusk, a time he associates with the defeated and those who conceal their misfortunes. The description of the dusk setting creating a mood of emptiness and the presence of unconsidered figures reflects the idea that the time of day influences people's emotions and perceptions. The transition to dusk symbolizes a change in mood - from the busyness of the day to the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of evening where individuals confront their personal loss in a more private manner.