Excerpt from Dombey and Son
Charles Dickens
Dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little
basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were
analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Dombey was about eight-and-
forty years of age. Son about eight-and-forty minutes. Dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well-made
man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. Son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an
undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. On the brow of Dombey, Time and his brother
Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time-remorseless twins they are for striding through their
human forests, notching as they go-while the countenance of Son was crossed with a thousand little creases, which the same
deceitful Time would take delight in smoothing out and wearing away with the flat part of his scythe, as a preparation of the
surface for his deeper operations
Which is mentioned as a contrast between the father and son?
A) Their ages are the same in number but not in units of measure.
B) The father has wrinkles due to age, but the son does not have wrinkles yet.
C) Dombey sits contemplating in relative silence, but his son cries for his
mother.
D) While Dombey is thrilled with his son's birth, the baby is not as happy with
his new life.