Question

Read this passage from William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury:

I wasn't crying, but I couldn't stop. I wasn't crying, but the ground wasn't still, and then I was crying. The ground kept sloping up and the cows ran up the hill. T.P. tried to get up. He fell down again and the cows ran down the hill. Quentin held my arm and we went toward the barn. Then the barn wasn't there and we had to wait until it came back.

Which best describes the tone of this passage?

A. Matter of fact
B. Exasperated
C. Confused
D. Frustrated

Answer 1

Hi
I would say the answer could be either b. or c. because the narrator sounds irritated when he or she says “he fell down again, held my arm”. It could also be c. because he or she seems confused when they say “then the barn wasn’t there”.

Answer 2

Hi,

I would say the tone is C, confused. I'm not entirely sure though, because it sounds as if the author is also frustrated; but I'm leaning towards C.

Tell me in the comments if you get it correct. Good luck!☺

~Elisabeth