Question

Q: What is the meaning of this oxymoron? Helen kept her eyes wide shut as she read the telegram informing her of her husbands tragic fate while climbing the rocky peak.
ANSWERS:
1.Helen did not want to face the sad news she received.
2.tears blocked Helens eyes as she tried to read.
3.Helen pressed her eyelids in a tightly closed position.
4.Helens eyes were wide when open and wide shut when closed.

Answer 1

An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses an ostensive self-contradiction to exemplify an oratorical point or to disclose a paradox. So the answer for this question is 1 because her eyes is wide open reading the telegram because of shock but her eyes is closed because of grief.

Answer 2

The correct answer is 1. Helen did not want to face the sad news she received.

Her eyes were wide open because of shock, but she didn't want to face the reality, that her husband is actually gone. She is sad because of this tragedy, and that reflects on her face. She would like to shut her eyes so as not to accept her husband's death, but that is not going away, unfortunately.