Question

Which of the following quotes from the text best reflects how the author uses nature to enhance the dark tone of the story 'The Scarlet Ibis'?

1) 'The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead.'
2) 'The bird was not like the other birds of our neighborhood. It was small and fragile, with scarlet feathers and long, thin legs.'
3) 'The oriole nest rocked back and forth like an empty cradle; the last of the family's babies had fallen from the nest to the ground.'
4) 'When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him.'

Answer 1

Option (1), The quote implying the last graveyard flowers blooming and their scent signifies death and enhances the dark tone of 'The Scarlet Ibis'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The quote that best reflects how the author uses nature to enhance the dark tone of the story 'The Scarlet Ibis' is: "The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead."

This quote encapsulates a dark and mournful atmosphere by describing flowers in a graveyard, which inherently symbolize death and mourning, and the pervasive scent that acts as a reminder of loss. This contrast of life (blooming flowers) and death (the names of the dead being invoked) heightens the story's dark tone.