Question

read the excerpt from chapter 7 of night.
one day when we had come to a stop, a worker took a piece of bread out of his bag and threw it into a wagon. there was a stampede. dozens of starving men fought desperately over a few crumbs. the worker watched the spectacle with great interest.
what is the connotative meaning of the underlined word in the excerpt?
○ a lavish event
○ a humiliating sight
○ an unexpected happening
○ an entertaining performance

Explanation:

To determine the connotative meaning of "spectacle" in the excerpt, we analyze the context. The men are starving and fighting over crumbs, while the worker watches with interest. A "humiliating sight" fits because the men's desperate fight for food is degrading, and the worker's interest in their struggle adds to the humiliation. "A lavish event" is incorrect (no luxury here), "an unexpected happening" doesn't capture the demeaning nature, and "an entertaining performance" is inappropriate (the situation is tragic, not entertaining).

Answer:

B. a humiliating sight