Read the excerpt from Walden.Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.Which best describes the purpose of the “thumb-nail” imagery?
Answer
A
It illustrates Thoreau’s belief that a person’s responsibilities should include some manual labor.
B
It illustrates Thoreau’s belief that most people waste their time attending to their bodies’ needs.
C
It emphasizes Thoreau’s belief that people should carefully choose their commitments.
D
It emphasizes Thoreau’s belief that people should carefully record their accounts.
Explanation
Thoreau urges readers to reduce their affairs from “a hundred or a thousand” to “two or three,” and to keep accounts on a tiny space like a thumbnail. The image makes his call for simplicity concrete: people should limit and carefully choose their commitments. It is not mainly advice about doing manual labor or keeping detailed financial records.
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