Question 16
NECO_MODEL_QUESTIONS_VOL1
•
2020
•
LITERATURE_IN_ENGLISH
•
objective
Read the passage below.
"The broken clock on the mantel ticked no more, forever frozen at three fifteen. Beside it lay a wilted rose, its petals curling inward as if retreating from the world. In the corner, a caged bird sang a mournful tune, its wings beating against the bars that kept it from the sky."
(i) State the conventional meaning of each of the three symbols: the broken clock, the wilted rose, and the caged bird.
(ii) Explain how the author modifies each symbol to reflect a particular aspect of the central theme.
(iii) State the central theme that unifies these modified symbols.
Answer Options
A.
The conventional meanings are: broken clock = nostalgia, wilted rose = beauty, caged bird = captivity. The author freezes the clock at 3:15 to evoke nostalgic memory, describes the rose's petals curling inward to emphasize lingering beauty, and has the bird sing while free to underline a paradox of captivity. These modifications combine under the central theme of romantic longing.
B.
The conventional meanings are: broken clock = death, wilted rose = lost love, caged bird = confinement. The author fixes the clock at 3:15 to symbolize mortality, describes the rose's petals curling inward to show love fading, and has the bird sing while confined to stress a tragic sense of being trapped. These modifications unite under the central theme of the inevitability of death.
Correct Answer
C.
The conventional meanings are: broken clock = loss of time, wilted rose = fading hope, caged bird = yearning for freedom. The author fixes the clock at 3:15 to show permanent stagnation, describes the rose's petals curling inward to show hope retreating, and has the bird sing while confined to stress a desperate but denied desire for liberty. These modifications unite under the central theme of the tragedy of unfulfilled aspirations.
D.
The conventional meanings are: broken clock = missed opportunities, wilted rose = aging, caged bird = oppression. The author stops the clock at 3:15 to indicate a lost chance, notes the rose's petals curling outward to suggest the passage of age, and lets the bird sing loudly to highlight oppression. These modifications point to a central theme of struggling against time.
Correct Answer
C
Correct Option:
The conventional meanings are: broken clock = loss of time, wilted rose = fading hope, caged bird = yearning for freedom. The author fixes the clock at 3:15 to show permanent stagnation, describes the rose's petals curling inward to show hope retreating, and has the bird sing while confined to stress a desperate but denied desire for liberty. These modifications unite under the central theme of the tragedy of unfulfilled aspirations.
About This Question
This is
Neco Model Questions Vol1
2020
Literature In English
Question 16.
It is one of the
objective
questions from the
2020
Neco Model Questions Vol1
Literature In English
examination.
Difficulty level:
Hard
.