Question

narrative. this passage is adapted from ethan frome by edith wharton. as he stood in the darkness outside the church these memories came back with the poignancy of vanished things. watching mattie whirl down the floor from hand to hand he wondered how he could ever have thought that his dull talk interested her. to him, who was never gay but in her presence, her gaiety seemed plain proof of indifference. the face she lifted to her dancers was the same which, when she saw him, always looked like a window that has caught the sunset. he even noticed two or three gestures which, in his fatuity, he had thought she kept for him: a way of throwing her head back when she was amused, as if to taste her laugh before she let it out, and a trick of sinking her lids slowly when anything charmed or moved her. the sight made him unhappy, and his what is the main theme of this passage? a the loving relationship between a man and his wife. b the difficult relationship between a man and his wife. c the confusion of a married man as he finds himself attracted to the housekeeper. d the emotional strain of being married to one with many health concerns.

Explanation:

The passage shows a married man (Ethan) observing Mattie and being conflicted by his attraction to her. There is no indication of a loving relationship with his wife, nor does it focus on his wife's health - related emotional strain. The main focus is on his internal confusion due to the attraction to the house - keeper.

Answer:

C. The confusion of a married man as he finds himself attracted to the housekeeper