Question

Which excerpt from the passage best creates a sense of suspense and mystery?

A) I found him on the veranda of his house, stretched out on a chair and suffering greatly.
B) He was pictured to me as a disagreeable, harsh, exacting fellow; nobody could endure him, not even his own friends.
C) You already know that this took place in 1860. The year before, about the month of August, at the age of forty-two, I had become a theologian.
D) Very well. I'll tell you the story, but on the condition that you do not divulge it before my death. You'll not have to wait long—a week at most; I am a marked man.

Answer 1

Answer:D

Explanation: It gives three different examples of suspense and mystery. First, he talks about his death, so its going to cause suspense because now we want to know if he really is going to die and how.

Answer 2

The excerpt from the passage that best creates a sense of suspense and mystery is

D) Very well. I'll tell you the story, but on the condition that you do not divulge it before my death. You'll not have to wait long—a week at most; I am a marked man.

Step-by-step explanation:

These excerpts were taken from the short story "The Attendant's Confession", "O Enfermeiro" in the original by Brazilian author Machado de Assis. Right from the get-go, Assis has readers curious about the story that will follow. There is something suspenseful and mysterious in the way the narrator asks someone (maybe readers themselves) to wait until after his death to divulge what they are about to be told. Also, by mentioning his death will take place soon, he has readers surprised and intrigued. How come he knows he is going to die and when? Thus, I believe letter D to be the best option to answer the question.

Note: In the Brazilian version, the narrator says "estou desenganado", which was translated as "I am a marked man." However, as a Brazilian, I feel the need to explain there is a difference between the two expressions. In English, when a man says he is marked, that usually means he is targeted by others, that other men wish to kill him. In Portuguese, when a person says they are "desenganados", that means they are sick and will die from the sickness. Therefore, it may very well be that in the short story, the narrator has been told by a doctor that he won't last more than a week due to illness.