Question

question 20 of 20
read the following excerpt from the the jilting of granny weatherall by katherine anne porter.

such a fresh breeze blowing and such a green day with no threats in it. but he had not come, just the same. what does a woman do when she has put on the white veil and set out the white cake for a man and he doesnt come? she tried to remember. no, i swear he never harmed me but in that. he never harmed me but in that . . . and what if he did?

what aspect of this excerpt most clearly marks it as a work of modernism?

a. it communicates the idea that people should never give up on their dreams.
b. it supports the idea that social institutions are inherently painful.
c. it reflects the betrayal of trust in a cherished ideal.
d. it conveys the disappointment of unhappy marriages.

Explanation:

Modernist literature often explores disillusionment and the breakdown of traditional ideals. In this excerpt, Granny Weatherall is distressed that a man (her fiancé, from the full story) failed to show up for their wedding, shattering her cherished ideal of marriage and her trust in the promise of that future. This focus on shattered expectations and disillusionment aligns with core Modernist themes, making this the best choice. The other options do not align with the excerpt's content or key Modernist characteristics: option A is an uplifting message contrary to the text's disappointment, option B focuses on social institutions which are not the central focus here, and option D misframes the event as an unhappy marriage rather than a broken pre-marital promise.

Answer:

C. It reflects the betrayal of trust in a cherished ideal.