Question

Read the following excerpt from The Age of Innocence to determine mood.

To the general rellef, the Countess Olenska was not present in her grandmother's drawing-room during the visit of the betrothed couple. Mrs. Mingott said she had gone out which, on a day of such glaring sunlight, and at the shopping hour, seemed in itself an Indelicate thing for a compromised woman to do. But at any rate it spared them the embarrassment of her presence, and the faint shadow that her unhappy past might seem to shed on their radiant future. The visit went off successfully, as was to have been expected. Old Mrs. Mingott was delighted with the engagement,
which, being long foreseen by watchful relatives, had been carefully passed upon in family council; and the engagement ring, a large thick sapphire set in invisible claws, met with her unqualified admiration.
Which word best describes the mood of this paragraph?
A) Gloomy
B) Quarrelsome
C) Amiable
D) Embarrassing

Answer 1

The mood conveyed in the provided excerpt from 'The Age of Innocence' is amiable, characterized by a sense of relief, contentment, and approval within a polite and pleasant atmosphere. Therefore, in the given context, the paragraph projects a sense of decorum and satisfactoriness aligned with the options provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mood of the excerpt from The Age of Innocence can be best described as amiable.

The paragraph mentions the relief felt by the characters due to the absence of Countess Olenska, the contentment of Mrs. Mingott towards the engagement, and the satisfaction with the engagement ring. The overall atmosphere is polite and pleasant, filled with approval and congeniality, despite the brief mention of a 'faint shadow' from the past.

The undesirable potential for awkwardness is mitigated by the Countess's absence, further contributing to the agreeable mood of the gathering. Therefore, in the given context, the paragraph projects a sense of decorum and satisfactoriness aligned with the options provided.