In the second year the piano was silent in the lodge, and the prisoner asked only for the classics. In the fifth year music was audible again, and the prisoner asked for wine. Those who watched him through the window said that all that year he spent doing nothing but eating and drinking and lying on his bed, frequently yawning and angrily talking to himself. He did not read books. Sometimes at night he would sit down to write; he would spend hours writing, and in the morning tear up all that he had written. More than once he could be heard crying.
In the second half of the sixth year the prisoner began zealously [definition: enthusiastically, with great energy] studying languages, philosophy, and history. He threw himself eagerly into these studies—so much so that the banker had enough to do to get him the books he ordered. In the course of four years some six hundred volumes were procured [definition: obtained carefully] at his request. It was during this period that the banker received the following letter from his prisoner:
“My dear Jailer, I write you these lines in six languages. Show them to people who know the languages. Let them read them. If they find not one mistake I implore you to fire a shot in the garden. That shot will show me that my efforts have not been thrown away. The geniuses of all ages and of all lands speak different languages, but the same flame burns in them all. Oh, if you only knew what unearthly happiness my soul feels now from being able to understand them!” The prisoner’s desire was fulfilled. The banker ordered two shots to be fired in the garden.
Determine the causes and effects in this passage, and then enter your answer into the space provided. Be as detailed as possible in your response. Provide at least three sentences for your answer. Include specific quotations from the text that show why you came to your conclusion.
Answer:
The causes and effects in this passage revolve around the prisoner’s activities and the responses they elicit. The first cause is the prisoner’s request for the classics and his subsequent silence on the piano, which leads to the effect of him spending a year doing nothing but eating, drinking, and lying on his bed as seen in the quote, “Those who watched him through the window said that all that year he spent doing nothing but eating and drinking and lying on his bed, frequently yawning and angrily talking to himself.” Another cause is the prisoner’s sudden dedication to study languages, philosophy, and history, resulting in the effect of the banker procuring six hundred volumes at his request. This is evident in the quote, “He threw himself eagerly into