+1982 Excerpt from Dombey and Son
Charles Appleens
Dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm—chair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Dombey was about eight—and—forty years of age. Son about eight—and—forty minutes. Dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well—made man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. Son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. On the brow of Dombey, Time and his brother Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time—remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as they go—while the countenance of Son was crossed with a thousand little creases, which the same deceitful Time would take delight in smoothing out and wearing away with the flat part of his scythe, as a preparation of the surface for his deeper operations
Which is mentioned as a contrast between the father and son?
A) Their ages are the same in number but not in units of measure.
B) The father has wrinkles due to age, but the son does not have wrinkles yet.
C) Dombey sits contemplating in relative silence, but his son cries for his mother.
D) While Dombey is thrilled with his son's birth, the baby is not as happy with his new life.
+2862 Read the full explanation for the answer, don't just cherry-pick the answer and go.
C) Dombey sits contemplating in relative silence, but his son cries for his mother
This was never described in the passage, nothing was said about contemplation or crying for a mother, which eliminates C.
D) While Dombey is thrilled with his son's brith, the baby is not as happy with his new life.
Their thoughts and emotions were never described, we don't know if Dombey is thrilled or the baby is not happy. This eliminates D.
That leaves with A or B.
We immediately see that B is false, as the text states:
"while the countenance of Son was crossed with a thousand little creases,"
This is because answer choice B states that the son DOESNT have wrinkles, yet the text proves otherwise.
This makes answer choice B logically false.
So the only choice we have left is A. That is the correct asnwer because although it is a simple one, it correctly creates a contrast between the father and the son, and it fits the question.
