The following text is excerpted from The Red Badge of Courage, an 1895 novel by Stephen Crane. In the text, a young Civil War soldier named Henry reflects in the aftermath of fighting a battle.
The procession of weary soldiers became a bedraggled train, despondent and muttering, marching with churning effort in a trough of liquid brown mud under a low, wretched sky. Yet the youth smiled, for he saw that the world was a world for him, though many discovered it to be made of curses and walking sticks. He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle. The sultry nightmare was in the past. He had been an animal blistered and sweating in the heat and pain of war. He turned now with great thirst to images of tranquil skies, fresh meadows, cool brooks—an existence of soft and eternal peace.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A) It contrasts Henry's emotional state with that of the other soldiers.
A
It contrasts Henry's emotional state with that of the other soldiers.
(Choice B) It highlights the physical and emotional toll that the war has taken on the soldiers.
B
It highlights the physical and emotional toll that the war has taken on the soldiers.
(Choice C) It presents a shift in Henry's perception of the natural world.
C
It presents a shift in Henry's perception of the natural world.
(Choice D) It emphasizes Henry’s sense of exhaustion in the aftermath of the battle.
D
It emphasizes Henry’s sense of exhaustion in the aftermath of the battle.
(Choice C) It presents a shift in Henry's perception of the natural world.
This sentence marks a turning point in Henry's mindset, as he transitions from the horrors of battle to a yearning for peace and beauty in nature. It shows how Henry's perspective has changed and sets the tone for his desire for tranquility after the chaos of war.