Read the excerpt from the story “David’s Haircut” by Ken Elkes and answer the question below. When it is David’s turn for a cut,
Mr Samuels places a wooden board covered with a piece of oxblood red leather across the arms of the chair, so that the barber doesn’t have to stoop to cut the boy’s hair. David scrambles up onto the bench. . . . David feels like he is in another world, noiseless except for the scuffing of the barber’s shoes on the lino and the snap of his scissors. In the reflection from the window he could see through the window, a few small clouds moved slowly through the frame, moving to the sound of the scissors’ click. Sleepily, his eyes dropping to the front of the cape where his hair falls with the same softness as snow and he imagines sitting in the chair just like the men and older boys, the special bench left leaning against the wall in the corner. When reading a story, word choice and connotative meaning help to clarify the narrator’s tone, which can help us understand the author’s message. Carefully examine the words and phrases the narrator uses to describe David’s experience at the barber shop. Based on your examination, select the answer that BEST reflects the author’s message in “David’s Haircut.” A. Childhood is often a scary and confusing time.
B. The barbershop can be a place of conversation and community.
C. Little boys often dream of growing up to be big and strong.
D. Children are often dreamy and scatterbrained.
