Choose a, b, c, or d. 1. how is the first paragraph of the story important to the passage as a whole?
a. it focuses on the danger of the ocean as insurmountable.
b. it focuses on the ocean's importance over the sky land, setting the sea as the primary settings.
c. it establishes the ocean as the primary focus and antagonist of the survivors.
d. it establishes the ocean as ugly and gray, as opposed to beautiful and blue.

"The Open Boat"
(Stephen Crane)

None of them knew the color of the sky. Their
eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the
waves that swept toward them. These waves
were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which
were of foaming white, and all of the men knew
the colors of the sea. The horizon narrowed and
widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its
edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks.

Julius caesar. [brutus.] with this, she fell distraught, and, her attendants absent, swallowed fire. cassius. and died so? brutus. even so. cassius. o ye immortal gods! [enter lucius, with wine and taper] brutus. speak no more of her. give me a bowl of wine. in this i bury all unkindness, cassius. cassius. my heart is thirsty for that noble pledge. fill, lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup; i cannot drink too much of brutus' love. [exit lucius. enter titinius, with messala] brutus. come in, titinius; welcome, good messala. now sit we close about this taper here, and call in question our necessities. cassius. portia, art thou gone? brutus. no more, i pray you. what moral dilemma does brutus confront in this excerpt? brutus lets go of his anger toward cassius and forgives him. brutus decides that he will not mourn portia and will stay loyal to cassius. brutus decides that he is too angry at cassius to remain friends with him. brutus questions whether cassius's life should be ended.