The Fortune Teller: A Glimpse into the Culture
Excerpt from The Fortune Teller
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
Hamlet observes to Horatio that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy. This was the selfsame explanation that was given by beautiful Rita to her lover, Camillo, on a certain Friday of November, 1869, when Camillo laughed at her for having gone, the previous evening, to consult a fortune teller. The only difference is that she made her explanation in other words,
\"Laugh, laugh. That's just like you men; you don't believe in anything. Well, let me tell you, I went there and she guessed the reason for my coming before I ever spoke a word. Scarcely had she begun to lay out the cards when she said to me: 'The lady likes a certain person ... ' I confessed that it was so, and then she continued to rearrange the cards in various combinations, finally telling me that I was afraid you would forget me, but that there were no grounds for my fear.\"
From the information in these paragraphs, what conclusion might one draw about the culture in which this story is set?
- A) Women in this culture are beautiful.
- B) People in this culture are very easily bored.
- C) Women in this culture laugh more than men.
- D) Men in this culture are more skeptical than women.
Question:
From the information in these paragraphs, what conclusion might one draw about the culture in which this story is set?
Answer:
D. Men in this culture are more skeptical than women.