Claudia read over the creative writing assignment one more time with a grimace plastered to her face. The project required introspection, but she hated writing about herself. She didn’t want to “dig deep” like the instructions told her to do. Probing your depths was as dangerous as hitchhiking on a lonely stretch of highway. You never knew who was in the next car, and you made yourself too vulnerable. Claudia crumpled up the assignment sheet and closed her book.
She couldn’t bring herself to open up and expose her inner thoughts and feelings to strangers, even if they were just words on a piece of paper. It felt like a violation of her privacy, a betrayal of her own self-protective instincts.
But as Claudia sat there, staring at the crumpled assignment sheet in her hand, she realized that her fear of vulnerability was holding her back. She had always been the one to keep her emotions locked up tight, to never let anyone see the real her. But maybe that was why she felt so alone, so disconnected from the people around her.
With a deep breath, Claudia smoothed out the assignment sheet and picked up her pen. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to open up without feeling exposed and vulnerable. Maybe she could find a way to share her story without giving too much away.
And with that, she began to write.
What does the simile “as dangerous as hitchhiking” convey about Claudia?
She views writing about herself as a means of escape.
She is a driver who refuses to pick up hitchhikers.
She is uncomfortable with the idea of writing about herself.
She once had a frightening experience while hitchhiking and does not want to write about it.