Question

Read the excerpt from "The Inside Search" by Zora Neale Hurston. One hundred goldy-new pennies rolled out of the cylinder. Their gleam lit up the world. It was not avarice that moved me. It was the beauty of the thing. I stood on the mountain. Mama let me play with my pennies for a while, then put them away for me to keep. What does the use of the word avarice suggest?

Answer 1

The use of the word 'avarice' suggests that the narrator's interest in the gold pennies is not driven by greed, but by the appreciation for their beauty. The word implies that the narrator is more captivated by the visual allure of the money than by materialistic desires.

Step-by-step explanation:

The use of the word avarice in the excerpt suggests that the narrator is explaining that their interest in the gold pennies is not motivated by greed or a desire for wealth, but rather by the sheer beauty and aesthetic appeal of the coins. The narrator emphasizes that it is the gleam and aesthetic quality of the pennies that captivate them, rather than materialistic desires. The word implies that the narrator's fascination with the pennies is rooted in their appreciation for the visual allure of the money, rather than a desire to accumulate wealth.