The main purpose of this story is to appeal to the reader's interest in a subject which has been the theme of some of the greatest writers, living and dead--but which has never been, and can never be, exhausted, because it is a subject eternally interesting to all mankind. Here is one more book that depicts the struggle of a human creature, under those opposing influences of Good and Evil, which we have all felt, which we have all known.It has been my aim to make the character of "Magdalen, " which personifies this struggle, a pathetic character even in its perversity and its error; and I have tried hard to attain this result by the least obtrusive and the least artificial of all means--by a resolute adherence throughout to the truth as it is in Nature. This design was no easy one to accomplish; and it has been a great encouragement to me (during the publication of my story in its periodical form) to know, on the authority of many readers, that the object which I had proposed to myself, I might, in some degree, consider as an object achieved.Round the central figure in the narrative other characters will be found grouped, in sharp contrast-- contrast, for the most part, in which I have endeavored to make the element of humor mainly predominant.I have sought to impart this relief to the more serious passages in the book, not only because I believe myself to be justified in doing so by the laws of Art--but because experience has taught me (what the experience of my readers will doubtless confirm) that there is no such moral phenomenon as unmixed tragedy to be found in the world around us. Look where we may, the dark threads and the light cross each other perpetually in the texture of human life.What does the author likely mean when he writes, "truth as it is in Nature" in 2nd paragraph?
Answer(s): D
Here, the author is saying that as the struggle was established in the beginning of time and has manifested itself throughout the ages in Nature, the struggle is a basic truth of nature.
The main purpose of this story is to appeal to the reader's interest in a subject which has been the theme of some of the greatest writers, living and dead--but which has never been, and can never be, exhausted, because it is a subject eternally interesting to all mankind. Here is one more book that depicts the struggle of a human creature, under those opposing influences of Good and Evil, which we have all felt, which we have all known.It has been my aim to make the character of "Magdalen, " which personifies this struggle, a pathetic character even in its perversity and its error; and I have tried hard to attain this result by the least obtrusive and the least artificial of all means--by a resolute adherence throughout to the truth as it is in Nature. This design was no easy one to accomplish; and it has been a great encouragement to me (during the publication of my story in its periodical form) to know, on the authority of many readers, that the object which I had proposed to myself, I might, in some degree, consider as an object achieved.Round the central figure in the narrative other characters will be found grouped, in sharp contrast-- contrast, for the most part, in which I have endeavored to make the element of humor mainly predominant. I have sought to impart this relief to the more serious passages in the book, not only because I believe myself to be justified in doing so by the laws of Art--but because experience has taught me (what the experience of my readers will doubtless confirm) that there is no such moral phenomenon as unmixed tragedy to be found in the world around us. Look where we may, the dark threads and the light cross each other perpetually in the texture of human life.Why does the author believe he is justified in using humor in the work being referenced?
Answer(s): C
The author tells us that he believes that "there is no such moral phenomenon as unmixed tragedy to be found in the world around us" meaning that there are no pure lines between Good and Evil or humor and tragedy.
The main purpose of this story is to appeal to the reader's interest in a subject which has been the theme of some of the greatest writers, living and dead--but which has never been, and can never be, exhausted, because it is a subject eternally interesting to all mankind. Here is one more book that depicts the struggle of a human creature, under those opposing influences of Good and Evil, which we have all felt, which we have all known.It has been my aim to make the character of "Magdalen, " which personifies this struggle, a pathetic character even in its perversity and its error; and I have tried hard to attain this result by the least obtrusive and the least artificial of all means--by a resolute adherence throughout to the truth as it is in Nature. This design was no easy one to accomplish; and it has been a great encouragement to me (during the publication of my story in its periodical form) to know, on the authority of many readers, that the object which I had proposed to myself, I might, in some degree, consider as an object achieved.Round the central figure in the narrative other characters will be found grouped, in sharp contrast-- contrast, for the most part, in which I have endeavored to make the element of humor mainly predominant. I have sought to impart this relief to the more serious passages in the book, not only because I believe myself to be justified in doing so by the laws of Art--but because experience has taught me (what the experience of my readers will doubtless confirm) that there is no such moral phenomenon as unmixed tragedy to be found in the world around us. Look where we may, the dark threads and the light cross each other perpetually in the texture of human life.Which selection best identifies the device used in the phrase "the dark threads and the light cross each other perpetually in the texture of human life" at the end of 3rd paragraph
Answer(s): E
The phrase, "the dark threads and the light cross each other perpetually in the texture of human life" is ametaph or for the mixing and intertwining of Good and Evil across the impure lines as they present themselves through Nature.
The main purpose of this story is to appeal to the reader's interest in a subject which has been the theme of some of the greatest writers, living and dead--but which has never been, and can never be, exhausted, because it is a subject eternally interesting to all mankind. Here is one more book that depicts the struggle of a human creature, under those opposing influences of Good and Evil, which we have all felt, which we have all known.It has been my aim to make the character of "Magdalen, " which personifies this struggle, a pathetic character even in its perversity and its error; and I have tried hard to attain this result by the least obtrusive and the least artificial of all means--by a resolute adherence throughout to the truth as it is in Nature. This design was no easy one to accomplish; and it has been a great encouragement to me (during the publication of my story in its periodical form) to know, on the authority of many readers, that the object which I had proposed to myself, I might, in some degree, consider as an object achieved.Round the central figure in the narrative other characters will be found grouped, in sharp contrast-- contrast, for the most part, in which I have endeavored to make the element of humor mainly predominant. I have sought to impart this relief to the more serious passages in the book, not only because I believe myself to be justified in doing so by the laws of Art--but because experience has taught me (what the experience of my readers will doubtless confirm) that there is no such moral phenomenon as unmixed tragedy to be found in the world around us. Look where we may, the dark threads and the light cross each other perpetually in the texture of human life.What is the overall purpose of this passage?
The author is taking an opportunity to explain to his readers directly as to why he has taken a particular approach to this new undertaking and explain his rationale for how he developed this main character, Magdalen.
In compliance with the request of a friend of mine, who wrote me from the East, I called on good- natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler, and inquired after my friend's friend, Leonidas W. Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append the result. I have a lurking suspicion that Leonidas W. Smiley is a myth; that my friend never knew such a personage; and that he only conjectured that, if I asked old Wheeler about him, it would remind him of his infamous Jim Smiley, and he would go to work and bore me nearly to death with some infernal reminiscence of him as long and tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it certainly succeeded. I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the barroom stove of the old, dilapidated tavern in the ancient mining camp of Angel's, and I noticed that he was fat and bald-headed, and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity upon his tranquil countenance. He roused up and gave me good- day. I told him a friend of mine had commissioned me to make some inquiries about a cherished companion of his boyhood named Leonidas W.Smiley--Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley--a young minister of the Gospel, who he had heard was at one time a resident of Angel's Camp. I added that, if Mr. Wheeler could tell me anything about this Rev. Leonidas W.Smiley, I would feel under many obligations to him.In context, the word "garrulous" in1st paragraph most nearly means
We can look at a variety of context clues to figure out this simple vocabulary question. We are forewarned by the author that he suspects there to be a consequence of a long, drawn-out storytelling; the narrator even tells us that it did, in fact, happen as he had suspected. We know through reading that Wheeler was then talkative.
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