Question

"Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground." The mother makes a "clarifying comparison" between Maggie and a type of dog in the passage above. How does her making a statement like this affect your opinion of her?

Answer 1

The mother’s comparison of Maggie to a lame animal paints a picture of Maggie’s vulnerability and highlights the impact of her trauma, potentially affecting our opinion of the mother’s empathy or possible disdain for her daughter.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mother's comparison of Maggie to a lame animal, specifically a dog that has been hurt by a car, serves to highlight the character's vulnerability and the long-lasting impact of her traumatic experience. This kind of comparison adds depth to our understanding of Maggie, but it also influences our perception of the mother.

The mother's view of Maggie as someone who has been irrevocably damaged evokes pity, but it may also breed a hint of disdain or impatience, depending on the reader's interpretation.

Her statement can affect our opinion of her, making us question whether she is empathetic toward Maggie's plight or whether she sees her daughter's weaknesses as a permanent and defining flaw.