Question

Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the story.

Read this excerpt from "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry.
There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow. The few foot passengers astir in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.
Which statement best describes how the pacing of this passage affects the story?

The pacing allows for a lengthy description of the man and clear description of the setting, which creates an alarming tone in the story.

The pacing makes the setting come alive with vivid imagery and descriptive language, which makes the story surprising.

The pacing moves the story along quickly with descriptive language, which adds humor to the story.

The pacing slows down the text with deliberate and descriptive language, which gives the story a mysterious atmosphere.

Answer 1

The pacing allows for a lengthy description of the man and clear description of the setting, which creates an alarming tone in the story. and or A

Answer 2

Answer: A) The pacing allows for a lengthy description of the man and clear description of the setting, which creates an alarming tone in the story.

Explanation: Pacing is a stylistic device, which shows how fast a story is moving forward. From the given options, the statement that best describes how the pacing of the passage from "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry affects the story, is the corresponding to option A: The pacing allows for a lengthy description of the man ("the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited") and clear description of the setting (the weather, the people walking, etc.), which creates an alarming tone in the story.