Question 131·Medium·Command of Evidence
“The Midnight Gardener” is a 1920 short story by Lucinda Blair. In the story, the narrator claims that Elias finds his greatest comfort in tending his flowers after dark. Which quotation from “The Midnight Gardener” most effectively supports this claim?
For evidence questions like this, first restate the claim in your own words and underline its key parts (topic, time, and attitude or emotion). Then quickly scan each option and eliminate any that don’t match at least the main parts of the claim—especially the specific condition (here, “after dark”) and the emotional idea (“comfort”). Among the remaining choices, pick the one that most directly and vividly shows the situation described, rather than one that just shares similar subject words like “garden” or “pumpkins.”
Hints
Clarify what the claim says
Underline or note the words “greatest comfort,” “tending his flowers,” and “after dark.” Any supporting quote should connect closely to these ideas, not just to gardening in general.
Focus on time and emotion, not just gardening details
Ask yourself: Which options say when he is in the garden and how he feels there? Some options mention gardening facts or other people, but may not show his personal comfort or the time of day.
Eliminate partially correct choices
If an option mentions plants or gardening but does not show he is there at night and feeling relaxed or comforted, it does not fully support the claim. Look for the one that clearly shows both.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the key parts of the narrator’s claim
The question says: “Elias finds his greatest comfort in tending his flowers after dark.” Break that into key ideas:
- Time: “after dark” (nighttime)
- Action: “tending his flowers” (actively with his plants)
- Emotion: “greatest comfort” (he feels relief, peace, or happiness)
The correct quotation must strongly show all three: night, flowers, and comfort.
Check each option against those key ideas
Now test each quotation:
- Option A talks about ledgers of seed costs and soil weights and neat handwriting. This is about record-keeping, not night-time, not clear emotional comfort, and not directly tending flowers.
- Option C shows Elias complaining about the leaking roof and thinking of selling the cottage. This is about frustration with his home, not gardening comfort, and not tied to night.
- Option D shows Mrs. Pritchard praising his pumpkins at the harvest fair. It’s about other people admiring his produce, not about his personal comfort or being out in the garden at night.
- One option (the correct one) clearly mentions what he does when it’s dark and describes his feelings as he moves among his flowers.
Select the quotation that best matches all parts of the claim
The quotation that says, “When the town’s lamps flickered out, he would light a single lantern and, with a sigh of relief, drift among the moonlit beds, whispering the names of each bloom as though greeting old friends” directly shows:
- Nighttime: “When the town’s lamps flickered out,” “moonlit beds,” and “single lantern.”
- Tending flowers: he moves “among the moonlit beds” and “whisper[s] the names of each bloom.”
- Comfort: “with a sigh of relief” and greeting the blooms “as though greeting old friends” clearly show peace and emotional comfort.
Because it includes all the key elements of the claim, this is the most effective supporting quotation.