Question

Can you please check my answer, thanks!! :))

Read the passage.

excerpt from Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

All roads lead to Johannesburg. If you are white or if you are black they lead to Johannesburg. If the crops fail, there is work in Johannesburg. If there are taxes to be paid, there is work in Johannesburg. If the farm is too small to be divided further, some must go to Johannesburg. If there is a child to be born that must be delivered in secret, it can be delivered in Johannesburg.

Which statement best explains how the imagery in this excerpt develops meaning?


A) The description of a child being born reinforces the idea that only immoral people make their way to Johannesburg; the city is a place of corruption, despair, and sin. The imagery forecasts that terrible things await anyone who leaves the country for the city.


B) The imagery of both whites and blacks going to the city develops the meaning that the city is a place where opportunities are available for everyone and is a place where, despite challenges, justice can be realized in South Africa.


C) The description of those who come to Johannesburg shows that people viewed Johannesburg as a solution to every problem, conveying the desperation of the people while foreshadowing the idea that Johannesburg will be overwhelmed by the number of people coming to it.


D) The imagery used to describe farming supports the idea that farming is obsolete and to indicate the sadness that the writer feels that an ancient way of life has come to an end.

I chose C

Answer 1

The Correct answer is C

Answer 2

C) The description of those who come to Johannesburg shows that people viewed Johannesburg as a solution to every problem, conveying the desperation of the people while foreshadowing the idea that Johannesburg will be overwhelmed by the number of people coming to it.

The excerpt repeatedly holds the word "Johannesburg", to put the focus on it as a place where anyone can go to, and where anything can be done, especially if it is aimed to solve a problem (To pay taxes, to secretly deliver an unborn child, etc.). It certainly conveys the message that Johannesburg is seen as a solution to every problem, and therefore it leads the reader with a feeling that in the future it may be largely populated by people who want to solve their issues.