Question

some expectations is a novel written by charles dickens (1812 - 1870), is influenced by the rigid class structure of victorian england. in this excerpt, a young orphan named pip is sent to visit a wealthy eccentric woman named miss havisham to entertain her. unknown to pip, miss havisham was left at the altar on her wedding many years before. she has stood ever since as if time had stopped at that fateful hour. excerpt from great expectations by charles dickens in an arm - chair, with an elbow resting on the table and her head leaning on that hand, not the strangest lady i have ever seen, or shall ever see. she was dressed in rich materials, - satins, and lace, and silks, - all of white. in the passage, what choice does the author make when describing the meeting of pip and miss havisham? the author includes a disagreement between pip and miss havisham at the end, creating a sense of discomfort. the author allows pip to observe miss havisham in silence before talking with her, creating a sense of anticipation. the author allows miss havisham to conceal her true feelings about pip, creating a sense of mystery.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the options based on the excerpt from Great Expectations:

1. Analyze Option 1: The excerpt doesn’t show a disagreement at the end of Pip and Miss Havisham’s meeting, so this is incorrect.
2. Analyze Option 2: The excerpt describes Pip observing Miss Havisham (her posture, clothing) in silence before interaction. This creates anticipation as readers wait for their conversation, matching the option’s description.
3. Analyze Option 3: The excerpt focuses on Pip’s observation, not Miss Havisham concealing feelings. There’s no indication of hidden feelings here, so this is incorrect.

The excerpt shows Pip observing Miss Havisham (her appearance, posture) in silence before interaction. Option 2 matches this: the author uses Pip’s silent observation to build anticipation for their conversation. Other options are inconsistent with the excerpt (no disagreement, no focus on concealed feelings).

Answer:

The author allows Pip to observe Miss Havisham in silence before talking with her, creating a sense of anticipation.