Question

read the passage. the decision joslyn trod back and forth over the worn painted floorboards for most of the long night. she was torn, her mind in tumult, over the decision that would be required of her come morning. should she leave her ancestral home and follow her brother to barbados? or should she stay at home and oversee the care of the land and home? her heart ached at the thought of thomas alone in barbados, that sultry, foreign land where he had no family and no friends. now that father was working far away in the mines, the two of them needed to stick together. she remembered her fathers wish: take care of each other. as much as she hated the thought of young thomas making his way in a world of strangers, she hated to leave the house that had nurtured five generations of her family. she knew and loved each generous tree in the orchard, each fragrant bush in the garden. the idle oxen in the fields felt like her very children. she scanned the night sky for a sign, as if a fiery vision might appear and guide her decision. no sign appeared; the stars dreamed their distant dreams. when dawns meager light filled the eastern sky, she gathered her few belongings and started the long trek to the train station. her face was a stormy calm mask; her gait was cautiously resolved. home would always be here, but thomas needed her. or perhaps she needed thomas. what role do the statements \stormy calm\ and \cautiously resolved\ play in the passage? 1. they provide insight into the conflicted character of joslyn. 2. they contribute to explaining the decision that joslyn has made. 3. they highlight the changing relationship between joslyn and her brother. 4. they help establish the mood of the setting, the transition from night to dawn.

Explanation:

"Stormy calm" and "cautiously resolved" describe Joslyn's state as she makes a difficult decision. She is conflicted internally (stormy calm) yet has made a decision (cautiously resolved), showing her conflicted character.

Answer:

1. They provide insight into the conflicted character of Joslyn.