Question

You read a long novel about many generations of a family living in the southern United States. Over and over again, the family makes a fortune and loses their fortune, first during the Civil War, again at the turn of the 20th century, and yet again during the Great Depression. No matter what they do, they can't seem to hold onto their wealth, and each generation has to start over again to build it back up.

What is the recurring theme in such a novel?
A.
Hard work will lead to a huge fortune.
B.
Fortune is highly unpredictable.
C.
Fortune smiles on good-hearted people.
D.
Money is more valuable than family.

Answer 1

B. Fortune is highly unpredictable.

Step-by-step explanation:

The family keeps losing their fortune, showing how unpredictable the fortune is.

Answer 2

The theme of this pessage is Fortune is highly unpredictable.

Step-by-step explanation:

The recurring theme in this novel is that, no matter what the family does, they lose their wealth every few decades or so. This implies that fortune is "fickle"—meaning it favors one family one day and a different one the next with no particular rhyme or reason.