Read the following passage carefully:
The wind off the Atlantic carried the sharp scent of brine and coal smoke, but Kenneth kept his eyes fixed on the marine chronometer, its brass casing reflecting the dim light of the wheelhouse. "We are three hours behind the Liverpool schedule," he muttered, tapping the glass. "If the fog thickens at the mouth of the channel, the harbor master will delay our berth until noon tomorrow."
Lydia did not look up from the rail, where she watched the dark swells rise and shatter against the hull. The spray caught the bioluminescent glow of microscopic organisms, casting brief, spectral sparks into the dark. "Does it matter?" she asked, her voice carrying over the rhythmic thrum of the engines. "The sea has its own clock, Kenneth. It doesn't care about the Liverpool docks or the cargo of cotton."
"The cargo pays for the coal that keeps us moving," Kenneth replied, his tone hardening as he adjusted the collar of his heavy wool coat. "A day's delay represents fifty pounds lost. In our business, time is not a philosophical abstraction; it is a ledger."
Lydia smiled faintly, her fingers tracing the cold iron of the railing. "And yet, when you look at the horizon, you see only the line where your calculations end. You do not see the water itself."
Which of the following best describes the function of the contrast between Kenneth’s preoccupation with the Liverpool schedule and Lydia’s observation of the bioluminescent waves?
- AIt illustrates Kenneth's anxiety about financial instability, contrasting it with Lydia's privileged detachment from the economic realities of travel.
- It highlights Kenneth's insistence on viewing the world through a framework of economic utility and human control, contrasting with Lydia's receptive appreciation of its unquantifiable beauty.Cevap
- CIt reveals Kenneth's latent desire to escape his professional duties, highlighting his resentment of Lydia's freedom.
- DIt reduces their interaction to a simple conflict between Kenneth's technical incompetence and Lydia's superior understanding of maritime conditions.
- EIt critiques the harsh labor conditions of the maritime industry by showing how Kenneth is oppressed by his role, while Lydia represents the author's own political viewpoint.