Question

Abuelo starts talking in his slow way. He speaks what my mother calls book English. He taught himself from a dictionary, and his words sound stiff, like he’s sounding them out in his head before he says them. With his children he speaks Spanish, and that funny book English with us grandchildren. I’m surprised that he’s still so sharp, because his body is shrinking like a crumpled-up brown paper sack with some bones in it. But I can see from looking into his eyes that the light is still on in there. What character trait does Abuelo most clearly show in this paragraph? Responses rebelliousness rebelliousness lack of kindness lack of kindness determination determination imagination

Answer 1

In the paragraph describing Abuelo, the character trait that he most clearly shows is **determination**. Despite the challenges of learning English from a dictionary and the physical changes in his body, he persists in speaking "book English" with his grandchildren. This determination to learn and communicate in a different language is evident in his use of "stiff" and "crumpled-up brown paper sack with some bones in it." It reflects his unwavering commitment to using the language he taught himself, even when it might be easier to stick to his native Spanish.