Marcus seems to be between stages of identity development, according to this passage. For most of the passage, Marcus is in the stage of Identity Moratorium, as he is thinking about his views and opinions and what to do about them, since they are in conflict with Mr. Benson's, and may get him expelled. He considers speaking out, but also considers apologizing. Ultimately, Marcus ends the passage in the stage of Identity Achievement, because he determines, after weighing out his options, that his own values are what matter most to him.
The correct answer for 1 is <span>D) The reader and the speaker share the same essence.
The reader and the speaker and all other people on the planet share the same essence. This is a very transcendentalist thought that we are all connected and are one and the same soul and should not take that lightly. Here ti isn't about physical even though atoms are a physical thing.
The correct answer for 2 is </span><span>D) Loafing is permissible, especially when studying nature.
Loafing didn't have a negative connotation back then, it simply referred to relaxing and dwelling on something, it wasn't just about being lazy. Loafing is permissible and his watching the plants is making him find a deeper meaning in life and in nature.
The correct answer for 3 is </span><span>D) These lines suggest that national identity is forged through having deep ancestral roots in a place.
His national identity of loving America which is also seen in his other poems stems form the idea that his forefathers and their forefathers were born there and they all shared the same experience of the land and nature and it is now his thing. </span>
