PART A: Which statement best identifies theme of the text?

A

People seek to rationalize the unexplainable in ways that serve their self-interest.

B

People are able to form strong connections with others in their community during hard times.

C

Humans constantly take advantage of and abuse the environment around them, as well as its creatures.

D

Sometimes people are not held accountable for their hurtful actions, but rather go on to prosper from them.

C. Humans constantly take advantage of and abuse the environment around them, as well as its creatures.

Explanation:

The question is related to the book, "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The book is an example of the genre, magical realism, in which fantasy is combined with aspects of ordinary, daily life.

The book, portraying the themes of cruelty and self-interest, revolves around the protagonists, Pelayo and his wife Elisenda who, one day, find an old man (A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings) in their courtyard. Their neighbor informs them that the old man is actually an angel and he's here for their daughter as she's very sick. The husband and wife lock the old man in a chicken coop and only let him out when their daughter recovers.

However, until then, the angel has attracted the attention of the whole town. Taking advantage of the old man, Elisanda decides to charge a 5 cent admission fee for seeing the angel. Consequently, they soon become wealthy, building their own mansion. They neglect the angel until he becomes frail and sickly.

The angel eventually recovers and finally flies away when the chicken coop breaks.