Question

When my sisters and I cared too much about our appearance, my mother would tell us how Trujillo's vanity knew no bounds. How in order to appear taller, his shoes were specially made abroad with built-in heels that added inches to his height. How plumes for his Napoleonic hats were purchased in Paris and shipped in vacuum-packed boxes to the Island. How his uniforms were trimmed with tassels and gold epaulettes and red sashes, pinned with his medals, crisscrossing his chest. How he costumed himself in dress uniforms and ceremonial hats and white gloves—all of this in a tropical country where men wore guayaberas in lieu of suit jackets, short-sleeved shirts worn untucked so the body could be ventilated. My mother could go on and on. –“A Genetics of Justice,” Julia Alvarez Which quotation from the passage supports the central idea that Trujillo worried about his appearance? “built-in heels that added inches to his height” “I cared too much about . . . appearance” “short-sleeved shirts worn untucked” “My mother could go on and on”

Answer 1

This is a two part question:

Part 1: What is a central idea in this passage?

Trujillo was a dictator whose cruelty knew no bounds.

B: Trujillo was extremely concerned about his appearance.

Trujillo dressed in a manner that was typical for the tropics.

Trujillo was revered in the author’s family and seen as a hero.

Part 2: Which quotation from the passage supports the central idea that Trujillo worried about his appearance?

A: “built-in heels that added inches to his height”

“I cared too much about . . . appearance”

“short-sleeved shirts worn untucked”

“My mother could go on and on”

Answer 2

“built-in heels that added inches to his height”

Step-by-step explanation:

In the passage from "A Genetics of Justice," the author Julia Alvarez direcs attention to what her mother used to tell about Trujillo's worry concerning his physical appearance. Thus, she mentions his desire to look taller as well as his lack of restraint in spending money or resources in purchasing expensive and unusual clothing.