What does the simile 'like a page being turned' suggest about the ferry's wake?

Marta reached the dock as the horn sounded. The ferry was already pulling away, its white wake folding over the grey water like a page being turned. She stood with her suitcase against her knee and did not shout. Behind her the village lights came on one by one, each window a small decision that someone else had made. She thought of the letter in her coat, the one she had written twice and posted never. Then she sat on the suitcase, took out the letter, and began, slowly, to read it to the empty harbour.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. The wake moves smoothly and closes one stage of the story

  1. Step 1: A page turning is a smooth, ordinary movement. Step 2. In context it also signals that an earlier part of Marta's story is ending. Answer: smooth and closing one stage. Why not the others: the other readings do not match a gentle turning of a page.

Practise more Reading and Literary Analysis.

Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) mock tests.