The train ride had stripped Arthur of his remaining pride, leaving him to walk the final mile to the estate in silence. Before the towering oak door of his father’s study, he hesitated, his fingers hovering over the brass knocker. He had spent a decade in the capital building a reputation that vanished in a single season of bad investments. Now, standing on the threshold, he harbored no illusions of a celebratory banquet, nor did he anticipate a fattened calf slaughtered to mark his homecoming. He knew there would be no tears of joy, only the silent, mathematical evaluation of a father who kept track of every debt.
In the passage, the allusion to the 'fattened calf' primarily serves to do which of the following?
- emphasize the discrepancy between Arthur’s expectation of his father’s cold judgment and the unconditional grace associated with the biblical homecomingCevap
- Bsuggest that Arthur expects his father to hold a modest gathering rather than a grand celebration
- Cimply that Arthur’s primary regret is the loss of the luxurious lifestyle he enjoyed in the capital
- Ddetail the physical steps Arthur took to return to the estate and his reluctance to enter the house
- Ereflect the author’s moral condemnation of the father’s failure to adhere to traditional parental duties
Cevap
The correct answer is that the allusion emphasizes the discrepancy between Arthur's expectation of his father's cold judgment and the unconditional grace associated with the biblical homecoming.
The reference to the 'fattened calf' alludes to the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son, in which a forgiving father celebrates the return of his wayward son with a feast. By explicitly stating that Arthur does not anticipate such a reception, the passage uses the allusion to contrast the expected warmth of the parable with the reality of his father’s cold, analytical nature, thereby underscoring the emotional distance between them.
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Literary Allusions and Their Functions