Question

review the passage. the personification is shown in bold.
\aline!\
aline, ugly, neat and enigmatic, appeared with the breakfast - tray. a delicious scent preceded her.
mrs. clephane raised herself on a pink elbow, shook her hair over her shoulders, and exclaimed: \violets?\
aline permitted herself her dry smile. \from a gentleman.\
color flooded her mistresss face. hadnt she known that something good was going to happen to her that morning—hadnt she felt it in every touch of the sunshine, as its golden fingertips pressed her lids open and wound their way through her hair?
she supposed she was superstitious. she laughed expectantly.
from edith wharton, the mothers recompense. copyright 1925 by edith wharton
what is the effect of the personification on the passages meaning or tone?
it sets a joyful tone.
it sets a mournful tone.
it sets a threatening tone.

Explanation:

The personification in the bolded text gives the sunshine human - like actions ("touch", "pressed her lids open", "wound their way through her hair") which makes the scene feel warm and pleasant. The mistress also feels that something good is going to happen and laughs expectantly. This creates a joyful mood rather than a mournful (sad) or threatening (scary) one.

Answer:

It sets a joyful tone.