Question

Which choice provides the most accurate paraphrase of lines 9–12?

1) The mariner pokes the wedding-guest with his skinny hand as he sings, 'there was a ship.' The wedding-guest demands that the mariner stop talking and calls him a crazy old man. The mariner slowly drops the wedding-guest's hand.
2) The mariner hits the wedding-guest with his skinny hand as he repeats the quote, 'there was a ship.' The mariner demands that the wedding-guest stop talking and calls him a crazy man with a gray beard. The wedding-guest slowly drops the mariner's hand.
3) The wedding-guest holds the mariner's skinny hand as he says, 'there was a ship.' The mariner demands that the wedding-guest let go and calls him a bird with a gray beard. The wedding-guest slowly drops the mariner's hand.
4) The mariner holds the wedding-guest with his skinny hand as he says, 'there was a ship.' The wedding-guest demands that the mariner let go and calls him a crazy old man. The mariner quickly drops the wedding-guest's hand.

Answer 1

Option (3), The question pertains to Stephen Crane's short story 'The Open Boat,' which narrates the survival of four men at sea. It explores human struggle, nature's indifference, and camaraderie.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpts provided come from Stephen Crane's short story The Open Boat, which is based on Crane's real-life experience of surviving a shipwreck. The text offers vivid details of the struggle for survival faced by four men—a captain, a cook, an oiler, and a correspondent—adrift in a dinghy on the open sea after their ship sank.

The narrative explores themes such as the indifference of nature to human suffering, the brotherhood among the men, and their collective fight against the odds of survival. As the story unfolds, each man's character is revealed through their actions and interactions with the environment and each other.