Question

Which excerpt from Nadine Gordimer's “Once Upon a Time” best prepares the reader for the symbolic meaning of the dragon's teeth as it relates to the development of the plot?

…the low-cost option of pieces of broken glass embedded in cement along the top of walls, …
… sunlight flashed and slashed, off the serrations, the cornice of razor thorns encircled the home, shining.
… (twelve-inch pikes finned like zigzags of lightening and painted white).
… it consisted of a continuous coil of stiff and shining metal serrated into jagged blades, so that there would be no way … through its tunnel without getting entangled in its fangs

Answer 1

The excerpt that best prepares the reader for the symbolic meaning of the dragon's teeth as it relates to the development of the plot is:

"… it consisted of a continuous coil of stiff and shining metal serrated into jagged blades, so that there would be no way … through its tunnel without getting entangled in its fangs."

This excerpt describes the physical characteristics of the security measure used to protect the home, highlighting the coil of metal serrated into jagged blades. The use of words like "fangs" and "entangled" suggest a menacing and dangerous quality, creating a symbolic association between the security measure and the concept of a dragon's teeth. This prepares the reader for the symbolic meaning of the dragon's teeth as a representation of a formidable and potentially harmful obstacle that characters may encounter as the plot develops.

Step-by-step explanation: