Read the poem carefully and answer the questions that follow :
When I’m An Old Lady
When I’m an old lady, I’ll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they’ve provided.
Returning each deed. Oh, they’ll be so excited!
I’ll write on the walls with reds, whites and blues,
And bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes,
I’ll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I’ll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they’ll shout.
When they’re on the phone and just out of reach,
I’ll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they’ll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
And when that is done, I’ll hide under the bed.
When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I’ll not eat my green beans and salad or meat.
I’ll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry I’ll run if I’m able.
I’ll sit close to the T.V., through the channels I’ll click
I’ll cross both eyes just to see if they stick
I’ll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud till the end of the day.
And later in bed, I’ll lay back and sigh,
I’ll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping.
And say with a groan, “She’s so sweet when she’s sleeping!”
–Barbara Hall
What is the meaning of “snap fingers”?
A Show anger
B Show affection
C Show happiness
D Show desperation
I think that the answer of this question is option (A). In this poem, 'snap fingers' is most likely meant to 'show anger'. The sentence before the sentence containing the phrase 'snap fingers' indicated that the old lady, Barbara Hall, plans to get into things like sugar and bleach when her children are out of reach. Eating things like sugar, and especially bleach, is harmful. When a person is taking care of another person, he/she generally shows anger to prevent the person they are taking care of from performing harmful acts. Additionally, the sentence after the sentence containing the phrase 'snap fingers' shows that the old lady hides under the bed when her children (who take care of her) snap their fingers. A child (metaphor for 'old lady') gets scared and hides under a bed if his/her parents (metaphor for 'old lady's children') show anger at his/her mischief. Option (D) is illogical, as no person scolding the person they are taking care of would show desperation. Sure, they might be desperate, but to show desperation is to reveal a weakness, which the person under their care could recognize and exploit, thus performing more mischief. Thus, the gesture of 'snap fingers' does not show 'desperation', even if it might have been instigated by desperation. Option (A) and option (C) are also not options, as any sane person would not show affection or happiness when the person under their care is eating sugar, or drinking bleach. Thus, for all these reasons, I think option (A) is the correct answer.