What is the meaning of this oxymoron?

Helen kept her eyes wide shut as she read the telegram informing her of her husband's tragic fate while climbing the rocky peak.

Helen did not want to face the sad news she received.

Tears blocked Helen's eyes as she tried to read.

Helen pressed her eyelids in a tightly closed position.

Helen's eyes were wide when open and wide shut when closed.

Among the choices presented, the correct meaning of the oxymoron stated is:

a. Helen did not want to face the sad news she received.

Helen was so devastated about the tragic news upon reading the telegram that she cannot afford to accept the truth.

Answer Link

michell96 michell96 · Answer 2 · 2019-12-12T08:20:18-05:00

The correct answer is A. Helen did not want to face the sad news she received.

Explanation:

An oxymoron refers to a literary figure in which two or more contradictory words are used to convey a deep meaning. In the case of the excerpt presented, oxymoron occurs in "Helen kept her eyes wide shut" because the author states Helen's eyes were open or wide and shut at the same time. This probably means Helen was so shocked and sad for her husband's death that she keep her eyes open but at the same time close as she cannot accept this event and she might want to close her eyes to try to forget it. Thus, the meaning of the oxymoron is "Helen did not want to face the sad news she received".