Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:-
Solace. He turned the roll of paper between his fingers and wondered if that had not been his error — to search always for solace when there was other game to hunt in the forest. Had he had more spirit, more nerve, more desire and ambition, then perhaps he would have instead hunted for success, distinction, magic. Perhaps he would have followed in pursuit of an art, published a book of poetry, earned a name for himself, a little fame, even gold bangles for Sarla...
But the thought was puerile that it was made him spit out a bitter shred of tobacco. Every effort he had made had ended in defeat: most of the poems he had written and sent to Murad had been rejected, his monograph never published; his wife and son eyed him with blatant disappointment; nor had he won the regard of his colleagues or students. The inherent weakness in his father that had made him an ineffectual, if harmless, teacher and householder, had been passed on to him. He felt it inside him like an empty hole, one he had been staring at all his years, intimidated by its blackness and blankness. Even his attempt to fill it with a genuine and heartfelt homage to a true poet, a man who had distinguished himself as he would have liked to do, had been defeated by all the obstacles that sprang up in his life like shards and pebbles sent up at every step. It was one more blow, and perhaps the bitterest of all.
On the basis of your reading identify the tone of the passage.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Disillusioned
Disillusioned means disappointed after finding that one's hopes or beliefs were not true. Deven looks back on dreams of fame and success and finds that every effort he had made had ended in defeat: his poems were rejected, his monograph never published, and even his tribute to a true poet failed. The passage is full of lost hopes, so its tone is disillusioned.
Example: After years of broken promises, the voters felt disillusioned with their leaders.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Contemptuous — Incorrect. Contemptuous means showing scorn, feeling that someone is worthless. Wrong focus: Deven does not look down on others; he is sad about himself.
Example: She gave the rude customer a contemptuous look.
Option 2: Ironical — Incorrect. Ironical means saying the opposite of what is meant, or showing an odd contrast between what is expected and what happens. Contradicted: the passage states Deven's failures plainly; it is not ironic.
Example: It was ironical that the fire station itself burnt down.
Option 3: Satirical — Incorrect. Satirical means using humour or mockery to criticise people or society. Contradicted: there is no humour or mockery here, only bitterness and sorrow.
Example: The magazine published a satirical cartoon about the minister.
Note: In the original NTA paper, Option 2 read "Mournful". NTA accepted this option as a correct answer as well. To leave only one correct answer and avoid confusion for students, it has been changed here to "Ironical".