But the spectre of delivering a speech brown-nosing the teachers jammed her imagination. At first she didn't want to and then she couldn't seem to write that speech. She should have thought of it as "a great honor," as her father called it. But she was mortified. She still had a slight accent, and she did not like to speak in public, subjecting herself to her classmates' ridicule. It also took no great figuring to see that to deliver a eulogy for a convent full of crazy, old, overweight nuns was no way to endear herself to her peers.

Question

But the spectre of delivering a speech brown-nosing the teachers jammed her imagination. At first she didn't want to and then she couldn't seem to write that speech. She should have thought of it as "a great honor," as her father called it. But she was mortified. She still had a slight accent, and she did not like to speak in public, subjecting herself to her classmates' ridicule. It also took no great figuring to see that to deliver a eulogy for a convent full of crazy, old, overweight nuns was no way to endear herself to her peers.

–“Daughter of Invention,”
Julia Alvarez

Read the passage about Yoyo. In two to three sentences, explain how language reveals a conflict she experiences.

Answer 1

The passage reveals that Yoyo experiences a conflict regarding her identity and how she perceives herself in relation to others. Her slight accent and fear of public speaking make her feel insecure, leading her to be apprehensive about delivering a speech. Additionally, she is concerned about how her classmates will react and the potential for ridicule if she were to speak in public.

Answer 2

The use of words such as "spectre," "jamming her imagination," "mortified," "ridicule," and "endear herself" reveals the conflict Yoyo experiences in delivering a speech that involves praising her teachers. She is torn between the pressure to fulfill her father's expectation and her fear of speaking in public, which is intensified by her accent and the potential judgment of her classmates.

Answer 3

In the passage, the language reveals that Yoyo experiences a conflict with delivering a speech to praise the teachers. She feels uncomfortable and mortified because of her slight accent and fear of being ridiculed by her classmates. This conflict is shown through Yoyo's hesitation, resistance, and negative perception of speaking in public and the potential consequences it may have on her social standing.