Answer:
The sentence which best describes how the setting contributes to the theme of appearance versus reality is:
4. The shabby cab, which returns Madame Loisel home, suggests that she will never fulfill her aspiration to be embraced by the wealthy on a modest income.
Explanation:
This question refers to the short story "The Necklace", which also goes by the title "The Diamond Necklace", by Guy de Maupassant, a French writer who lived from 1850 to 1893.
In the story, Madame Loisel dreams of being rich and of owning beautiful things. This desire consumes her thoughts and her days. Having a party to attend, and being dissatisfied with her own clothes and accessories, Madame Loisel borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend.
When she leaves the party, she and her husband are unable to find a decent cab. They end up taking a shabby cab of the type that only goes around at night, as if "ashamed to show [its] shabbiness during the day." <u>The author chooses to give these characters only a shabby cab because he wants to contrast their appearance with their reality. Yes, they have just left a fancy party. And yes, Madame Loisel is wearing a diamond necklace (although it is actually fake, but she does not know it). However, they are still the same people they were before. Nothing has changed. They aren't wealthier all of a sudden. They will not return to a castle. They do not even own their own carriage, but need a cab to drive around.</u>
With that in mind, the best option is number 4.
