Question

from \the schoolmasters progress\ by caroline m. s. kirkland
master william horner came to our village to school when he was about eighteen years old: tall, lank, straight - sided, and straight - haired, with a mouth of the most puckered and solemn kind. his figure and movements were those of a puppet cut out of shingle and jerked by a string: and his address corresponded very well with his appearance. never did that prim mouth give way before a laugh. a faint and misty smile was the widest departure from its propriety, and this unaccustomed disturbance made wrinkles in the flat, skinny cheeks like those in the surface of a lake, after the intrusion of a stone. master horner knew well what belonged to the pedagogical character, and that facial solemnity stood high on the list of indispensable qualifications. he had made up his mind before he left his fathers house how he would look during the term.

which aspect of the old - fashioned schoolmaster archetype is most emphasized in the description of master horner in this passage?

1. being \straight - sided, and straight - haired\
2. having a \faint and misty smile\
3. possessing \flat, skinny cheeks\
4. maintaining \facial solemnity\

Explanation:

To determine the answer, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Physical appearance details (straight - sided, straight - haired) are descriptive but not the main emphasis of the "old - fashioned schoolmaster" archetype's key trait here.
• Option 2: A "faint and misty smile" is a minor detail, not the core of the archetype's emphasis.
• Option 3: "Flat, skinny cheeks" is a physical feature, not the main emphasized aspect of the archetype.
• Option 4: The passage states "that facial solemnity stood high on the list of indispensable qualifications" and describes how he maintained it (e.g., prim mouth, no laugh before proper time), so maintaining "facial solemnity" is the most emphasized aspect of the old - fashioned schoolmaster archetype.

Answer:

1. maintaining "facial solemnity"