Question

Read the excerpt from "The School Days of an Indian Girl":

"Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities. People had stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. And now my long hair was shingled like a coward’s!"

What does the line "I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet" suggest about the narrator?

Options:

A) She felt powerful and in control.
B) She was treated with great respect.
C) She felt manipulated and powerless.
D) She enjoyed the attention and admiration.

Answer 1

The narrator felt manipulated and powerless, as described by the metaphor of being 'tossed about...like a wooden puppet,' which portrays loss of control over her own life. Option is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The line "I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet" from the excerpt of "The School Days of an Indian Girl" suggests that the narrator felt manipulated and powerless.

This metaphor paints a vivid image of the narrator being handled without care or respect, much like an inanimate object at the mercy of others. It indicates a sense of loss of agency, implying that the narrator's life and body were controlled by outside forces, reminiscent of the way a puppeteer controls a puppet.

This is further emphasized by the phrases describing the indignities and extreme suffering the narrator endured, including being shorn of her long hair, which for many cultures is a sign of one's identity and strength.