Question

Read the following excerpt from "the monkey’s paw" by w.w. jacobs. "i should like to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers," said the old man [mr. white]. "what was that you started telling me the other day about a monkey’s paw or something, morris?" "nothing," said the soldier hastily. "leastways, nothing worth hearing." "monkey’s paw?" said mrs. white curiously. "well, it’s just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," said the sergeant-major offhandedly. what does the dialogue in this excerpt reveal about sergeant-major morris?

a. he is indifferent about the monkey’s paw.
b. he is eager to talk about the monkey’s paw.
c. he knows nothing about the monkey’s paw.
d. he is reluctant to talk about the monkey’s paw.

Answer 1

Sergeant-Major Morris in 'The Monkey's Paw' appears to be evading in-depth discussion about the monkey's paw, showing reluctance rather than indifference or eagerness. Option D is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The dialogue in the excerpt from "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs reveals that Sergeant-Major Morris is reluctant to talk about the monkey’s paw. When Mr. White expresses a desire to hear more about the paw, Morris dismissively refers to his previous mention of it as "nothing worth hearing."

Furthermore, his abrupt and hasty response to the mention of the monkey's paw, as well as the fact that he calls it "just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," in an offhand manner, underscores his uneasiness and desire to avoid discussing it in depth. This reluctance can be interpreted as an indication of the dark and potentially dangerous nature of the paw that Morris is all too aware of.

The correct option, in this case, is D. he is reluctant to talk about the monkey’s paw.