Answered

opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

What is the purpose of the repetition of the word "it" in the opening lines of Dickens's novel?

AThe repetition lulls the reader into submission.
BThe repetition reminds the reader of point of view.
CThe repetition highlights the main character's conflict.
DThe repetition focuses on the traits of the age being described.

Verified Answer :

i believe its D , because each time something is being described its a different season or age

michell96

The correct answer is D. The repetition focuses on the traits of the age being described.

Explanation:

In the excerpt presented from "A Tale of Two Cities" the author uses the repetition of the pronoun "it" along with the past "was" to include different traits about the age that is described this includes contradictory details such as "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" or " it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair". This repetition in the opening lines of this literary work plays an important role as they introduce the setting of the story and more importantly "make the reader focus on the traits of the age being described".

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