Question

3. I’m not satisfied but it’s the best we can do till our new black’s ready, and Ben and Elizabeth will never have thought of mourning yet, so will outshine them there. a) Who is the speaker and what is the speaker not satisfied about? b) What do you infer about the speaker’s character from these lines? c) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘to be better than?’

Answer 1

The speaker is Mrs.Slater, she is not satisfied by their outfit they are wearing as it is no completely black.
b) she is competitive as well as materialistic
c)outshine

Answer 2

Answer :

This question is based on the play 'The Dear Departed' by Stanley Houghton.

a) Mrs. Slater is the speaker of the given lines. She is not satisfied about the outfits that her family is wearing after grandfather's death as the outfits are not completely black and are thus unsuitable for mourning.

b) These lines show the competitive and materialistic traits of Mrs. Slater's character.

c) The word 'outshine' in the extract means the same as 'to be better than.'