Question

read this excerpt from the grapes of wrath: and they scampered about, looking for work; and the highways were streams of people, and the ditch banks were lines of people. which sentence best describes steinbecks diction here? a. he uses the word \highways\ to remind the reader that the tenant farmers always had the option of leaving. b. he uses the word \scampered\ to show the panic of the tenant farmers. c. he uses the words \lines of people\ to show that the tenant farmers gave up too quickly. d. he uses the word \streams\ to evoke the idea of water in contrast with the dry land.

Explanation:

• Option A: The context of The Grapes of Wrath shows tenant farmers were displaced and desperate, not that they “always had the option of leaving.” So A is incorrect.
• Option B: “Scampered” implies a hurried, panicked movement, which fits the desperate search for work by tenant farmers. This aligns with the diction's purpose.
• Option C: “Lines of people” depicts the large number of unemployed, not that they “gave up too quickly.” The novel portrays their struggle, not surrender. So C is wrong.
• Option D: “Streams” here is a metaphor for the flow of people (like a stream of water), not to contrast with dry land. The focus is on the mass of people, not a water - dry land contrast. So D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. He uses the word "scampered" to show the panic of the tenant farmers.