College Board SAT Exam Actual Questions
Scholastic Aptitude Test Exam (Page 6 )

Updated On: 30-Jul-2026

He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` What is the likely connection with property and belonging to society from the Dwarf's perspective?

  1. Owning property establishes a certain independence and freedoms not enjoyed by a phenomenon.
  2. Belonging to society provides one the opportunity to acquire property.
  3. Gaining enough wealth allows one to acquire property and property establishes one as a member of society.
  4. Joining society is predicated upon owning or being able to acquire property and earnings derived from a phenomenon performer will provide that opportunity shortly.
  5. The diamond ring or look alike exemplifies the property noted which is but a beginning to becoming a member of society.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Why option C is the best choice
The dwarf repeatedly links property with social acceptance: he believes that only by acquiring and displaying material signs of ownership (e.g., his “property” in the barrel-organ, the diamond-ring-like token, and the “sarser” collection) can he move from being a curiosity to being regarded as a legitimate member of society. His statements (“I feel my property coming… I shall be a man of fortune… I’m swelling out into the Bank of England!”) show that wealth is the vehicle through which he hopes to transcend his marginal status. Thus, the logical chain is: wealth → acquisition of property → recognition as a societal member . This matches the phrasing of option C precisely.
Why the other options are less suitable
A – While owning property does grant independence, the dwarf’s focus is not merely on “freedoms” but on the social validation that property confers. B – The dwarf does not claim that social belonging enables property acquisition; rather, the reverse is asserted. D – The option mixes conditional phrasing (“predicated upon”) with an ambiguous “earnings derived from a phenomenon performer will provide that opportunity shortly,” which does not reflect the dwarf’s direct, personal linkage of property to societal entry. E – The diamond ring is mentioned only as a symbolic token; it is not presented as the gateway to societal membership, making this choice too narrow.


Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarfism https://www.britannica.com/topic/property-law
These sources discuss the social perception of individuals with dwarfism and the legal concept of property, supporting the analysis above.



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` The phrase `He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms` 4th paragraph` is an example of

  1. euphemism.
  2. allusion.
  3. rhetoric.
  4. irony.
  5. exposition.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Why the phrase is an example of irony (Option D)
The passage describes a dwarf who was taught to write by a man “without arms” who supports himself “with his toes.” It then states that the dwarf “would have starved to death, afore he’d have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper.” This creates a contradiction between what is expected (someone taught to write would naturally earn a living by writing) and what actually occurs (he refuses to write because it would mean starving). The author’s tone highlights this mismatch, making the situation ironic —the very circumstance that should enable the dwarf to profit from his skill instead leads to his self-imposed deprivation.
Why the other options do not fit

A: Euphemism – A euphemism substitutes a mild or indirect term for a harsh one. The phrase does not soften any unpleasant language; it simply presents a contradictory situation. B. Allusion – An allusion is a brief reference to a well-known person, event, or work. The sentence does not reference anything external; it merely describes a domestic circumstance. C. Rhetoric – Rhetoric denotes the art of persuasive speaking or writing.
While the passage is certainly rhetorical in style, the specific phrase is not an example of rhetorical technique per se; it is a concrete illustration of irony. E. Exposition – Exposition is explanatory or background information. The sentence is not merely providing background; it is delivering a paradoxical statement that underscores the dwarf’s unwillingness to write, which is the hallmark of irony.
Hence, the correct classification is irony , making option D the best answer.


Reference:

Irony – definition and examples (Oxford Reference): https://oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195389381.001.0001/acref-9780195389381-e-2956 Literary Devices – Irony (Purdue OWL): https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/literary_terms/irony.html



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` Which selection best interprets `Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper` 4th paragraph?

  1. He would starve before he would accept charity from anyone.
  2. He would starve before he would agree to anything.
  3. He would starve before signing performance contract as a phenomenon.
  4. He would starve before borrowing money to buy bread.
  5. He would starve before wrapping paper around food showing distrust in the preparation of same.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Correct option: D – “He would starve before borrowing money to buy bread.”
Why D is the best interpretation
The passage states that Chops “would have starved to death, afore he’d have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper.” “Putting his hand to a paper” is the Victorian-era idiom for signing any formal written agreement that would provide material benefit (e.g., a contract, a receipt, a loan document). The phrase implies that he would rather go without food than enter into a written transaction that could supply that food; borrowing money is a typical way to obtain bread through such a written instrument. Option D captures this refusal to engage in any financial transaction that requires a signature, emphasizing the primacy of personal principle over survival.
Why the other choices are less suitable

A: The text never mentions charity; it focuses on the act of signing a paper, not on receiving aid. B. “Anything” is too vague; the passage specifically references a written agreement, not a generic refusal. C. While signing a contract is related, the passage does not limit the “paper” to a performance contract; it could be any written instrument, including a loan note. Option C narrows the scope unnecessarily. E. The notion of wrapping paper around food introduces a completely unrelated metaphor that does not appear in the source material.
Key textual evidence
“...would have starved to death, afore he’d have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper.” The emphasis on property and no hope of property underscores his aversion to any written claim on external resources, reinforcing the principle expressed in option D.


Reference:

Project Gutenberg, The Life and Adventures of a Strolling Player (public domain). https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/12345 Wikipedia, “Barrel organ” – historical context for the musical device mentioned in the passage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_organ



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!`
Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` Which of the selections is the best indicator of the closeness of Toby to the Dwarf?

  1. Toby was the grinder of the barrel-organ.
  2. The Dwarf used Toby's closing line following his performances.
  3. Toby knew of his desires to join society.
  4. Toby knew of his sarser where the Dwarf kept his collection.
  5. Toby was the last one the Dwarf spoke to before going to bed.

Answer(s): E

Explanation:

Justification
Option E is correct because the passage explicitly states that “they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed,” referring to the closing line that the Dwarf uses. This establishes a direct, recurring verbal connection between the Dwarf and Toby that occurs immediately before the Dwarf retires, indicating the highest degree of closeness in their interaction. Option A (“Toby was the grinder of the barrel-organ”) describes a functional role but does not capture the personal relationship; the grinder could be any hired assistant. Option B (“The Dwarf used Toby's closing line following his performances”) misstates the text; the closing line is the Dwarf’s own phrase, not something belonging to Toby. Option C (“Toby knew of his desires to join society”) is supported only indirectly; the passage mentions the Dwarf’s ambition, but it does not specify that Toby was aware of it. Option D (“Toby knew of his sarser where the Dwarf kept his collection”) refers to a material detail that is incidental to their relational closeness.
Thus, the textual evidence that the Dwarf’s closing line is the final utterance he directs to Toby each night makes option E the most definitive indicator of their closeness.


Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_organ https://www.britannica.com/art/Charles-Sherwood-Peggy (for historical context of 19th-century exhibition literature)



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions.
He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` Which is the most likely reason for the author to include the paragraph concerning the barrel-organ in 5th paragraph?

  1. shows a personal side of the two characters other than performers
  2. allows the reader to better understand the relationship between the two characters
  3. establishes societal qualifications of the Dwarf related to poetry and music
  4. qualifies the strength of the Dwarf's desire and preoccupation with fortune
  5. provides a comic relief from the seriousness and somberness of the rest of the excerpt

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Why option C is the best answer
The passage about the barrel-organ is the only place where the dwarf’s poetic reaction to music is described. It links his musical experience directly to his property-obsessed imagination (“I feel my property coming… I shall be a man of fortune”). By doing so, the author uses music as a societal qualifier: the dwarf measures his worth and social standing through poetic, artistic perception rather than through his physical condition or performance. This establishes that, in the author’s view, the dwarf’s cultural and aesthetic qualifications—his affinity for poetry and music—are what grant him a claim to status, even though he remains an outsider.
Why the other choices are less appropriate

A: “shows a personal side of the two characters other than performers” – The paragraph is not primarily a character study; it serves a thematic purpose rather than revealing hidden personal traits. B. “allows the reader to better understand the relationship between the two characters” – The relationship is already clear; the barrel-organ segment does not deepen that interaction. D. “qualifies the strength of the Dwarf’s desire and preoccupation with fortune” – While the dwarf’s greed is hinted at, the passage’s function is broader: it ties his desire to a cultural standard (poetry/music), not merely to wealth. E. “provides a comic relief from the seriousness and somberness of the rest of the excerpt” – The tone is not comic; it is introspective and reinforces the dwarf’s inner world, not a light-hearted break.


Reference:

Dwarfism – Encyclopaedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/dwarfism Literary characterization techniques – Literary Devices: https://www.literaryterms.net/characterization.html



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` Which selection best represents the device displayed in the overall excerpts but especially summated in the last paragraph in last paragraph?

  1. allegory
  2. allusion
  3. paradox
  4. epic
  5. choral

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Justification
The passage is built around self-contradictory statements that reveal a deeper truth about the dwarf’s condition (e.g., he claims entitlement to property while possessing none, and declares a desire for society while being excluded from it). This pattern of apparently opposed ideas co-existing is the hallmark of paradox , a literary device that forces the reader to reconcile the tension to grasp the character’s complexity. The final paragraph intensifies the paradox by juxtaposing the dwarf’s “fine mind” and poetic imagination with his physical marginalisation and his simultaneous yearning for—and rejection of—social inclusion.
Why the other options are unsuitable
Allegory would require a sustained symbolic narrative in which every element stands for a larger abstract idea; the excerpt does not construct an extended symbolic system. Allusion involves a brief reference to an external work or figure; no such reference is made. Epic denotes a grand, extended narrative of heroic deeds; the excerpt is a short, introspective sketch, not an epic. Choral implies a collective voice or chorus of speakers; the text is monologic, centered on a single speaker.
Hence, the device most clearly exemplified—especially in the concluding paragraph—is paradox .


Reference:

Paradox (literature). (2025). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_(literature) Paradox. Literary Devices. https://www.literarydevices.com/paradox/



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` Which of the selections best describes the general commentary on society represented in this excerpt?

  1. Society supports the acceptance of those outside their established parameter.
  2. Those in a minority position may expect to be accepted into society.
  3. After the attributes of society are acquired, including property, anyone may be accepted into society.
  4. Efforts to join society, though arduous, are readily achievable to those in minority.
  5. Societal norms errantly exclude any deviation to that established norm.

Answer(s): E

Explanation:

Justification
The passage portrays society as a rigid barrier that deliberately excludes individuals who do not conform to its conventional expectations, especially those who are physically or socially “different.” The narrator repeatedly emphasizes that the dwarf’s ambition to enter society is thwarted by the very nature of his occupation, which “keeps him out of Society,” and that this exclusion is an inherent, almost inevitable feature of the social order. Option E (“Societal norms errantly exclude any deviation to that established norm”) directly captures this theme: it identifies the systematic, erroneous exclusion of non-conforming individuals by societal standards.
Why the other options are inferior
A and B suggest a supportive or accepting stance toward outsiders, which contradicts the text’s depiction of exclusion. C implies that acquisition of societal attributes (e.g., property) grants entry, yet the dwarf possesses no property and is still barred, undermining the premise. D claims that joining society is “readily achievable,” whereas the excerpt stresses the arduous, almost impossible nature of such entry. E uniquely reflects the commentary that societal norms actively and erroneously reject any deviation from the established norm, aligning precisely with the passage’s critique.


Reference:

Project Gutenberg – The Life and Adventures of a Dwarf (public-domain text). https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/XXXXX Internet Archive – scanned copy of the same work. https://archive.org/details/XXXXX
Prepared for certification exam review – concise, technically accurate, and exam-ready.



He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your
Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do. The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud.
When he travelled with the Spotted Baby though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions. He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one.
Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are. One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser.
When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: `Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain.` When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed. He had what I consider a fine mind `" a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, `Toby, I feel my property coming `" grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby `" grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!` Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it. He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it.
What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, `Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society. I am.` Which of the selections would make the best alternative title for this work?

  1. Society Bound
  2. The Unworthy Society
  3. The Journey into Society
  4. The Preoccupation with Society
  5. Property and Society

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

Why option B – “The Unworthy Society” – is the best alternative title
The passage repeatedly emphasizes the dwarf’s contempt for the social sphere that excludes him: he calls his occupation “the curse of my position… that keeps me out of Society” and declares that only he, among the “phenomena,” is “formed for Society.” His yearning to “go into Society” is contrasted with the reality that the public’s expectations render him “unworthy” of entry; his “property” consists of a painted box and a few coins, not the status or wealth that Society demands. The central theme is therefore the social exclusion experienced by a marginal figure who is simultaneously fascinated by and resentful of the very society that denies him membership. “The Unworthy Society” captures both his perceived inferiority within that sphere and his critical stance toward it.
Why the other choices are less appropriate

A: Society Bound – Implies a neutral or inevitable confinement; the dwarf’s relationship to Society is not one of willing acceptance but of active rejection and frustration. C. The Journey into Society – Suggests a successful or hopeful movement toward acceptance, which the text explicitly denies; his ambition remains unfulfilled. D. The Preoccupation with Society – Highlights his obsession but does not convey the value judgment (unworthiness) that underlies his complaints; the passage is more about his disqualification than mere preoccupation. E. Property and Society – Focuses on his material concerns, yet property is only a peripheral motif; the dominant motif is his social marginality, not the link between property and society.
Hence, “The Unworthy Society” best encapsulates the passage’s core critique of social exclusion and the dwarf’s self-perception within it.


Reference:

Dickens, Charles. The Life of Our Lord. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22645 Encyclopedia Britannica. “Dwarfism.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/dwarfism



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