Question

adapted from the innocents: \chapter 2\
by sinclair lewis
they took the steamer for massachusetts at five o’clock. when the band started to play, when mother feared that a ferry was going to collide with them, when beautiful youths in boating hats popped out of state - rooms like chorus - men in a musical comedy, when children banged small sand pails, when the steamer rounded the dream castles of lower new york, when it seemed inconceivable that the flag - staff could get under brooklyn bridge — which didn’t clear it by much more than a hundred feet — when a totally new new york of factories and docks, of steamers bound for ceylon and yachts bound for newport, was revealed to these old new - yorkers — then mother mingled a terrific apprehension regarding ships and water with a palpitating excitement over sailing into the freedom which these two gray - haired children had longed for all their lives, and had found during two weeks of each year.
father was perfectly tremendous. he apprehensive? why, he might have been the original man to go down to the sea in ships. mother wailed that all the deck chairs had been taken; father found mountains of chairs and flipped a couple of them open as though he were a steward with service stripes. he was simply immense in his manner of thrusting mother and himself and his chairs and a mound of shawls and coats into the midst of the crowd gathered at the bow. he noted mother’s nervousness and observed, casually, “mighty safe, these boats. like ferries. safer ’n trains. yes, they’re safer ’n staying home in bed, what with burglars and fires and everything.”
“oh, do you really think they are safe?” breathed mother, comforted.
admirable though father was, he couldn’t sit still. he was wearing a decorative new traveling cap, very smart and expensive, shaped like a
what does paragraph 7 reveal about mother?
a despite feeling excited at first, mother becomes accustomed to traveling and is perfectly at home on the ship.
b mother tries to escape her fear and anxiety by falling asleep.
c mother’s anxiety and fear of traveling are exhausting.
d despite feeling afraid, mother trusts father’s confidence and becomes more relaxed as their journey unfolds.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze paragraph 7 (where Mother is initially nervous about ferries but Father notes their safety, and Mother is comforted). Option D says despite fear, Mother trusts Father's confidence and relaxes. Let's check others: A says excited at first (no, Mother was nervous), B says she tries to escape (no, she's comforted), C says anxiety is exhausting (not stated). So D matches as Mother's fear lessens with Father's reassurance.

Answer:

D. Despite feeling afraid, Mother trusts Father’s confidence and becomes more relaxed as their journey unfolds.