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Difficulty: EasyLiterary Allusions and Their Functions

Read the passage carefully.

Victor stared at the blueprints of his high-altitude balloon, ignoring the letters from his father warning him of the thinning atmosphere. 'The upper air is mine,' he muttered to the empty hangar, adjusting the pressure valves far beyond their safety limits. Like Icarus preparing his wings of wax, Victor felt only the intoxicating pull of the sky, completely disregarding the inevitable descent.

In the passage, the allusion to Icarus primarily serves to do which of the following?

  1. A
    recount the chronological steps Victor took to build his balloon in the hangar
  2. B
    convey the author's personal skepticism regarding the safety of modern aviation
  3. emphasize Victor's reckless ambition and his denial of potential dangerAnswer
  4. D
    suggest that Victor's balloon is literally constructed from wax and feathers
  5. E
    imply that Victor's father wishes to join him on the journey to the upper atmosphere

Answer

emphasize Victor's reckless ambition and his denial of potential danger
The allusion to Icarus—a mythological figure who ignored warnings and fell to his death after flying too close to the sun on wings of wax—parallels Victor's behavior of ignoring his father's letters and pushing his pressure valves past safety limits. This function serves to emphasize Victor's reckless ambition and denial of danger.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the allusion in the text and its source.
The text references Icarus and his wings of wax, which refers to the Greek myth of Icarus who flew too close to the sun, causing his wings to melt and leading to his fall.
Understanding the source myth is necessary to analyze how the allusion functions in this context.
2
Analyze the connection between the allusion and Victor's behavior in the passage.
Victor is ignoring warnings from his father and pushing safety limits out of a desire to conquer the sky, echoing Icarus's disregard for warnings and desire to fly higher.
This establishes the parallel between the mythological figure and the character's traits.
3
Determine the narrative function of the parallel.
The parallel serves to highlight Victor's dangerous hubris, reckless ambition, and blindness to the consequences of his actions.
This identifies the analytical function of the allusion rather than just its literal meaning or plot details.

Key Concept

Analyzing the narrative function of a literary allusion in characterizing a protagonist's motivations and flaws
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Literary Allusions and Their Functions

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