What does Uncle John do to send a message about the living conditions of the migrants?

What does Uncle John do to send a message about the living conditions of the migrants?

• A. He sets fire to an old barn
• B. He runs the truck into the wall of the town jail
• C. He puts Rose of Sharon's stillborn baby in a crate and sets it in the river
• D. He carries the stillborn baby into the office of the mayor

Answer: (C)

The main idea this question tests is how a dramatic, symbolic action is used to reveal the migrants’ harsh living conditions and to shock the local community into paying attention. Uncle John’s choice to put Rose of Sharon’s stillborn baby in a crate and set it in the river creates a stark, haunting image: a vulnerable child carried away by the current stands for the many losses families suffer because of poverty and neglect. The river acts as a public, undeniable stage where outsiders must confront the grim reality of where the migrants are living and dying, making the message hard to ignore. What makes this option the best is that it uses a powerful, visible symbol that reaches beyond a private grievance—it invites the town to witness the consequences of social and economic neglect. The other actions would be destructive or aggressive but wouldn’t deliver the same pointed message about living conditions in a way that forces public awareness; they lack the symbolic resonance and outward, communal impact of sending the infant down the river in a crate.

The main idea this question tests is how a dramatic, symbolic action is used to reveal the migrants’ harsh living conditions and to shock the local community into paying attention. Uncle John’s choice to put Rose of Sharon’s stillborn baby in a crate and set it in the river creates a stark, haunting image: a vulnerable child carried away by the current stands for the many losses families suffer because of poverty and neglect. The river acts as a public, undeniable stage where outsiders must confront the grim reality of where the migrants are living and dying, making the message hard to ignore.

What makes this option the best is that it uses a powerful, visible symbol that reaches beyond a private grievance—it invites the town to witness the consequences of social and economic neglect. The other actions would be destructive or aggressive but wouldn’t deliver the same pointed message about living conditions in a way that forces public awareness; they lack the symbolic resonance and outward, communal impact of sending the infant down the river in a crate.