Question

The following text is adapted from Lewis Carroll's 1889 satirical novel Sylvie and Bruno. A crowd has gathered outside a room belonging to the Warden, an official who reports to the Lord Chancellor. One man, who was more excited than the rest, flung his hat high into the air, and shouted (as well as I could make out) "Who roar for the Sub-Warden?" Everybody roared, but whether it was for the Sub-Warden, or not, did not clearly appear: some were shouting "Bread!" and some "Taxes!", but no one seemed to know what it was they really wanted. All this I saw from the open window of the Warden's breakfast-saloon, looking across the shoulder of the Lord Chancellor. "What can it all mean?" he kept repeating to himself. "I never heard such shouting before-and at this time of the morning, too! And with such unanimity!" Based on the text, how does the Lord Chancellor respond to the crowd?

A) He asks about the meaning of the crowd's shouting, even though he claims to know what the crowd wants.
B) He indicates a desire to speak to the crowd, even though the crowd has asked to speak to the Sub-Warden.
C) He expresses sympathy for the crowd's demands, even though the crowd's shouting annoys him.
D) He describes the crowd as being united, even though the crowd clearly appears otherwise. im

Answer 1

The Lord Chancellor is puzzled and seeks to understand the crowd's shouting, noting a facade of unity that is actually contradicted by the diverse and disjointed shouts of the crowd.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Lord Chancellor's response to the crowd can be best described as puzzled and ironic. He repeatedly questions the meaning behind the crowd's shouting, emphasizing his confusion with the line: "What can it all mean?" This indicates that he is genuinely perplexed and is seeking some understanding of the situation. Despite this bewilderment, the Lord Chancellor also notes the apparent unanimity of the crowd, suggesting a sense of unity in their collective action. However, this is laced with irony as the text clearly shows a crowd that is disjointed and shouting about different things, such as "Bread" and "Taxes". Hence, the Lord Chancellor observes a facade of agreement, which is not substantiated by the reality of the crowd's mixed shouts.

Based on the text, the Lord Chancellor responds to the crowd by repeatedly asking himself what their shouting means. He is confused by the loud noise and the unity of the crowd, as they all seem to be shouting different things. Despite claiming to know what the crowd wants, the Lord Chancellor expresses uncertainty and seeks to understand the true intentions behind the shouting.