Question

Read this scene from a play. Then, answer the question(s) about it.

Scene 3. A small-town bank of the 1950s. Seated in a formal office behind a large wooden desk is RUDOLPH SLOAN, dressed in a suit and tie. In a chair facing the desk is MANDY MARVIN, more casually dressed.

SLOAN. [politely] I regret it, Miss Marvin, but unfortunately the bank—

MANDY. [cheerfully interrupting] Look here, Rudy Sloan, all I'm askin' fer is a little loan to tide me over. Why, back when you was just a tyke, yer daddy loaned my daddy the money to start the Movie Palace in the first place.

SLOAN. Indeed, and back then movie theaters were a fine investment. But now, people don't go to the movies like they used to; they stay home and watch TV—

MANDY. Aw, TV, that's just a passing fad!

SLOAN. I don't think so, Mandy. [sighs] Look, the bank is willing to give you a loan if you agree to make the theater smaller and rent out half to Tom Poe—

MANDY. Tom Poe? No way am I renting out half my theater to a car dealership. I won't do it! I won't change one thing from the way my daddy done it. What good's a picture on an itty bitty screen? It may as well be on that there TV.


The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A
Choose the word that best completes the sentence.

From her characterization in this scene, the reader can infer that one of Mandy Marvin's flaws is
Choose...


Part B
Which line from the text provides the best support for the answer to Part A?
A. Look here, Rudy Sloan, all I’m askin’ fer is a little loan to tide me over.
B. Aw, TV, that’s just a passing fad!
C. I won’t change one thing from the way my daddy done it.
D. What good’s a picture on an itty bitty screen?

Answer 1

Part A: Stubbornness

Part B: I won’t change one thing from the way my daddy done it.

Step-by-step explanation:

Part A:

From her characterization in this scene, the reader can infer that one of Mandy Marvin's flaws is stubbornness. She is unwilling to change the way her father ran the theater, even though it is clear that times have changed and people are no longer going to the movies as much as they used to. She is also unwilling to compromise with Rudolph Sloan, even though he is offering her a loan that could save her theater.

Part B:

The line from the text that provides the best support for the answer to Part A is "I won't change one thing from the way my daddy done it." This line shows that Mandy is unwilling to change, even though it is clear that change is necessary. She is stuck in the past and refuses to see that the world is changing around her.

Here are some additional details from the text that support the answer to Part A:

Mandy interrupts Rudolph Sloan when he is trying to talk to her.

• She refuses to listen to his advice.
• She is unwilling to compromise.
• She is stuck in the past and refuses to see that the world is changing around her.

These details all suggest that Mandy is a stubborn person. Her stubbornness is a flaw because it prevents her from seeing the reality of the situation and making the necessary changes to save her theater.