Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

She was an old garrulous woman, a pawnbroker’s widow, who collected used stamps for some pious purpose.I had to endure the gossip of the tea-table. ("Araby" from Dubliners, p. 3)

Based on this context, which of the following best describes this woman?

talkative, religious, wealthy
quiet, religious, wealthy
quiet, religious, middle class
talkative, religious, middle class

Respuesta :

The correct option is this: TALKATIVE, RELIGIOUS, MIDDLE CLASS.
From the passage given above, the words 'garrulous, pawnbroker's widow and pious are the key words that describe the character in the passage. To be garrulous is to be excessively talkative, especially about minor matters. To be pious is to be devoutly religious. Someone, whose late husband is a pawnbroker will probably have middle class status. Thus, based on these words that are used to describe the woman in the passage, the woman can be said to be a middle class woman, who is talkative and religious.

Answer: talkative, religious, middle class

The passage describes the woman as "garrulous," which means talkative, especially in a rambling, trivial way. It also states that she liked to gossip over tea. This implies she is talkative.

The woman also collected stamps for a pious purpose. "Pious" refers to a religious goal or motivation, especially one that attempts to fulfill a duty towards God. This shows that the woman is religious.

Finally, she is a pawnbroker's widow. Pawnbrokers in general do not earn a large income. Moreover, she is a widow, so it is likely she is in an even tighter situation than she would have been if her husband was still alive. This indicates she is most likely middle class.