Question

Read the excerpt from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. Then, answer the question that follows.

"There!" said the boy, as he stood still opposite them. "There" that'll do for them. They can't bear singing, and they can't stand that song. They can't sing themselves, for they have no more voice than a crow; and they don't like other people to sing."

The boy was dressed in a miner's dress, with a curious cap on his head. He was a very nice-looking boy, with eyes as dark as the mines in which he worked and as sparkling as the crystals in their rocks. He was about twelve years old. His face was almost too pale for beauty, which came of his being so little in the open air and the sunlight—for even vegetables grown in the dark are white; but he looked happy, merry indeed—perhaps at the thought of having routed the goblins; and his bearing as he stood before them had nothing clownish or rude about it.

"I saw them," he went on, "as I came up; and I'm very glad I did. I knew they were after somebody, but I couldn't see who it was. They won't touch you so long as I'm with you."

"Why, who are you?" asked the nurse, offended at the freedom with which he spoke.

"I'm Peter's son."

"Who's Peter?"

"Peter the miner."

"I don't know him."

"I'm his son, though."

"And why should the goblins mind you, pray?"

"Because I don't mind them. I'm used to them."

"What difference does that make?"

"If you're not afraid of them, they're afraid of you. I'm not afraid of them. That's all. But it's all that's wanted—up here, that is. It's a different thing down there. They won't always mind that song even, down there. And if anyone sings it, they stand grinning at him awfully; and if he gets frightened, and misses a word, or says a wrong one, they—oh! don't they give it him!"

"What do they do to him?" asked Irene, with a trembling voice.

"Don't go frightening the princess," said the nurse.

"The princess!" repeated the little miner, taking off his curious cap. "I beg your pardon; but you oughtn't to be out so late. Everybody knows that's against the law."

Based on the interaction between the boy, the princess, and her nurse, which situational conflict archetype is present in the passage?

Death and rebirth
Good vs. evil
Innate wisdom vs. educated stidity
No situational conflict is present.

Answer 1

This passage establishes a conflict between the boy, who represents innate wisdom and dealing with the goblins from experience, and the nurse, who represents educated stuffiness and a more bookish, superficial perspective.

The boy advises the princess and nurse that they should not be out at night when the goblins are active, but the nurse brushes off his warnings, dismissing him as impolite. However, the boy is ultimately proven right, as he recognizes the goblins and is able to ward them off with his knowledge of how to handle them.

The conflict stems from the nurse underestimating the boy's cunning and experience due to her class-based prejudices. So the situational conflict archetype present is:

Innate wisdom vs. educated stidity

The options of "Death and rebirth" and "Good vs. evil" do not accurately reflect the dynamics of the conflict, and no conflict is present in Option 4.

So the correct choice is:

Innate wisdom vs. educated stidity

Answer 2

Innate wisdom va is the answer