Question

10 Zeitoun woke with the sun and crawled out of his tent. The day was bright, and as far as he could see in any direction the city was underwater. . . . He could only think of Judgment Day, of Noah and forty days of rain. And yet it was so quiet, so still. Nothing moved. He sat on the roof and scanned the horizon, looking for any person, any animal or machine moving. Nothing. As he did his morning prayers, a helicopter broke the silence, shooting across the treetops and heading downtown. Why does the author include the details of Zeitoun’s morning?
to suggest the hopelessness of Zeitoun’s situation
to illustrate the solitary existence endured by survivors
to establish Zeitoun’s dedication
to the rituals of his faith to reveal the military’s attempts at assistance

Answer 1

The answer is: to suggest the hopelessness of Zeitoun’s situation.

In the excerpt from "Zeitoun," the author Dave Eggers makes reference to Zeitoun's feeling of devastation as the sees New Orleans underwater after hurricane Katrina. For instance, the narrator describes how the whole city is  submerged and that nothing other than water can be seen around Zeitoun's tent. The protagonist also looks for people, animals or machines moving, but he sees nothing until the helicopter flies around.

Answer 2

To suggest the hopelessness of Zeitouns situation