Question

Read the excerpt from the passage:



The dentist gave him a clean cloth.

“Dry your tears,” he said.

The Mayor did. He was trembling. While the dentist washed his hands, he saw the crumbling ceiling and a dusty spider web with spider’s eggs and dead insects. The dentist returned, drying his hands. “Go to bed,” he said, “and gargle with salt water.”



How does this emphasize the main character’s perspective?


a. The dentist enjoys watching the mayor cry.


b. The dentist acknowledges that the mayor is a terrible person.


c. The dentist realizes his power over the mayor in this situation.


d. The dentist understands that he will benefit from the interaction with the mayor.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. The dentist realizes his power over the mayor in this situation.

Explanation:

The given excerpt is from the story One of These Days written by  Gabriel García Márquez. The main character, the dentist, gets a visit from the mayor. At first, he doesn't want to admit him, but the mayor threatens to shoot him. He lets him in and extracts an abscessed tooth without anesthesia, telling him that he will pay for twenty of (their) dead men. It's apparent that the mayor has the most power in the city, threatens to shoot people, and shoots them sometimes as he likes. But in this scenario, it's the dentist who has the power, and he displays it without fear. He caused him pain and began ordering him around. The dentist knows that the mayor is a terrible person and probably does enjoy watching him cry, but the display of power is what is most important.

Thus, the correct option is C.