Question

Select the correct text in the passage. Which detail best introduces the theme of sacrifice? (1) I could have taken "No" and gone away decently and never bothered her again. I told her so straight out in the first angry flush of my rejection-but this string business, with everything left hanging in the air, so to speak, made a fellow feel like thirty cents. (2) "It simply means that I'm engaged and you are not," I said. (3) "It's nothing of the kind," she returned tearfully. "You're as free as free, Ezra. You can go away this moment, and never write or anything!" (4) Her lips trembled as she said this, and I confess it gave me a kind of savage pleasure to feel that it was still in my power to hurt her. (5) It may sound unkind, but still you must admit that the whole situation was exasperating. Here was five-foot-five of exquisite, blooming, twenty-year-old American girlhood sending away the man she confessed to care for, because, forsooth, she would not marry before her elder sister! I always thought it was beautiful of Freddy (she was named Frederica, you know) to be always so sweet and tender and grateful about Eleanor, but sometimes gratitude can be carried altogether too far, even if you are an orphan, and were brought up by hand. Eleanor was thirty-four if a day-a nice enough woman, of course, and college bred, and cultivated and clever-but her long suit wasn't good looks.​

Answer 1

The detail that best introduces the theme of sacrifice is "Here was five-foot-five of exquisite, blooming, twenty-year-old American girlhood sending away the man she confessed to care for, because, forsooth, she would not marry before her elder sister!" (in option 5).

Step-by-step explanation:

This detail emphasizes the sacrifice made by the young girl in rejecting the man she cares for in order to prioritize her elder sister's marriage. The reference to "sending away" the man and the phrase "forsooth," which means "in order to comply with a request or demand," indicates that the girl is making a selfless sacrifice. This detail introduces the theme of sacrifice by highlighting the conflict between personal desires and familial obligations.