Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyAuthor's Purpose and Point of View

Read the following excerpt from 'The Feather Pillow' by Horacio Quiroga:

'Her husband, Jordán, loved her profoundly, though he was characterized by a cold character. For three months—they had been married in April—they lived in a special kind of bliss. Doubtless she wished for less severity in that rigid sky of love, and more expansive and less guarded tenderness; but her husband's silent demeanor always restrained her. Their house was a magnificent, cold place, with columns and marble statues that gave the impression of an enchanted palace. The silence, the loneliness, the stark white walls, only increased the cold shiver she felt.'

What is the primary purpose of the author in describing the physical features of the couple's house?

  1. A
    To document the literal temperature and physical materials of the building.
  2. B
    To show that Jordán built the house to make his wife feel like a queen.
  3. To mirror the emotional distance and lack of warmth in Jordán and his wife's relationship.Answer
  4. D
    To create a sense of high-spirited adventure and mystery in an enchanted setting.

Answer

To mirror the emotional distance and lack of warmth in Jordán and his wife's relationship.
The correct answer is the option focusing on mirroring the emotional distance. The author purposefully aligns the physical qualities of the house (such as its coldness, silence, and starkness) with Jordán's cold personality and the couple's emotionally distant marriage to convey the isolating nature of their relationship.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the description of Jordán's character in the passage.
Jordán is described as having a cold character and silent demeanor that restrains his wife.
Establishing his personality helps connect his emotional state to other elements in the story.
2
Examine the description of the house and its effect on the wife.
The house is described as a cold, silent, and lonely place with stark white walls that cause the wife to shiver.
Analyzing the setting reveals how it mirrors the husband's character and the overall atmosphere of their marriage.
3
Determine the author's primary purpose for using these parallel descriptions.
The physical environment serves as a symbol to represent the lack of warmth and emotional distance in the relationship.
Connecting setting to character dynamics reveals the underlying thematic purpose.

Key Concept

Analyzing author's purpose and point of view through literary setting and characterization.
Rate this question

Topics

Author's Purpose and Point of View

More questions from this topic