Question

read the excerpt from chapter 2 of night by elie wiesel.
there was a woman among us, a certain mrs. schächter. she was in her fifties and her ten-year-old son was with her, crouched in a corner. her husband and two older sons had been deported with the first transport, by mistake. the separation had totally shattered her.
how does the word shattered affect the tone of the excerpt?
the word suggests a tragic tone.
the word suggests a tearful tone.
the word suggests a pathetic tone.
the word suggests a nervous tone.

Explanation:

In the excerpt from "Night", the word "shattered" describes the impact of separation on the woman. A tragic tone is conveyed as the separation (due to deportation by mistake) has a devastating effect on her, which aligns with the tragic nature of the Holocaust - related events in the book. A tearful tone might be more about sadness in expression, pathetic about evoking pity, and nervous about anxiety, but "shattered" here implies a tragic, devastating event.

Answer:

The word suggests a tragic tone.