Question

camellias drooped from thick bushes, their once - pristine white petals browning in the oppressive summer heat. the heady fragrance of the flowers decay hung like a veil over the crumbling antebellum mansion. through shattered windows, faded brocade curtains undulated lazily, beckoning whispers of the homes faded opulence. in the shadowed recesses of the drawing room, young henley beauregard sat primly in a tattered hoop skirt, her pale hands folded over the worn damask. her sunken eyes stared unseeingly at the thick coating of dust on the chippendale table before her. she had been raised to make a prestigious match, to secure her familys legacy. instead, she found herself the last raggedy branch on her familys withered tree, soon to be consumed by the relentless southern earth, her fortunes and delicate beauty devoured without preamble.
which excerpt contains an example of irony?
○ camellias drooped from thick bushes, their once - pristine white petals browning in the oppressive summer heat.
○ she had been raised to make a prestigious match, to secure her familys legacy. instead, she found herself the last raggedy branch on her familys withered tree ...
○ through shattered windows, faded brocade curtains undulated lazily, beckoning whispers of the homes faded opulence. in the shadowed recesses of the drawing room, young henley beauregard sat primly in a tattered hoop skirt ...
○ ... soon to be consumed by the relentless southern earth, her fortunes and delicate beauty devoured without

Explanation:

Irony occurs when there is a stark contrast between expected outcomes and actual results. The correct excerpt presents the contrast between Henley's upbringing (meant to secure her family's legacy via a prestigious match) and her actual fate (being the last, struggling member of her declining family), which fits the definition of situational irony. The other excerpts use imagery to establish setting or mood without this contrast of expectation vs. reality.

Answer:

She had been raised to make a prestigious match, to secure her family's legacy. Instead, she found herself the last raggedy branch on her family's withered tree [. . .]