Question

the solitary summer
by elizabeth von arnim (adapted excerpt)
(1) may 2nd. —last night after dinner, when we were in
the garden, i said, “i want to be alone for a whole
summer, and get to the very dregs of life. i want to be as
idle as i can, so that my soul may have time to grow.
nobody shall be invited to stay with me, and if any one
calls they will be told that i am out, or away, or sick. i
shall spend the months in the garden, and on the plain,
and in the forests. i shall watch the things that happen in
my garden, and see where i have made mistakes. on
wet days i will go into the thickest parts of the forests,
where the pine needles are everlastingly dry, and when
the sun shines ill lie on the heath and see how the
broom flares against the clouds. i shall be perpetually
happy, because there will be no one to worry me. out
there on the plain there is silence, and where there is
silence i have discovered there is peace.”
(2) “mind you do not get your feet damp,” said the man
of wrath.
(3) it was the evening of may day, and the spring had
taken hold of me body and soul. the sky was full of
stars, and the garden of scents, and the borders of
wallflowers and sweet, sly pansies. all day there had
been a breeze, and all day slow masses of white clouds
had been sailing across the blue. now it was so still, so
motionless, so breathless, that it seemed as though a
quiet hand had been laid on the garden, soothing and
hushing it into silence.
25
select the correct answer.
what statement best summarizes the passage?
a. the narrator contemplates having time to grow her soul by refusing to see anyone besides her husband or read any books for the summer.

b. the narrator describes how she wants to explore nature and then compares herself to a bird that is both cheerful and quarrelsome.

c. the narrator longs to spend the summer in solitude out in nature, and her husband thinks that she will be bored.

d. the narrator and her husband argue about how the summer should be spent as he wants to have guests and she wants to be alone.

Explanation:

• Option A: The passage doesn't say she won't read books, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: There's no comparison to a bird, so B is wrong.
• Option C: The narrator wants to be alone in nature (garden, plain, forests) for the summer. Her husband (Man of Wrath) just gives a small comment about not getting feet damp, but the implication of his attitude (and the context) suggests he might think she'll be bored, and this option captures the main elements of her longing for solitude in nature and his possible view.
• Option D: There's no argument; he just makes a small comment, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

C. The narrator longs to spend the summer in solitude out in nature, and her husband thinks that she will be bored.