Do you think Mary will be able to follow her mother's advice successfully when Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee visit? Why or why not?
Based on Scene I, it seems unlikely that Mary will be able to follow her mother's advice successfully.
Mary appears overconfident about her ability to converse politely, claiming she can "talk very well" when she likes.
However, her mother's hesitation and suggestion that Mary go out for a walk instead of staying suggests that Mrs. Shaw knows from experience that Mary tends to say inappropriate things.
Mary's casual attitude and her statement that she has "often done harder things than this" indicate she may not take the advice seriously enough.
Explanation
This question asks students to predict what will happen based on the character traits revealed in Scene I. Mary's overconfidence and her mother's concern create dramatic irony, as readers can anticipate that Mary will likely make mistakes.
Solution Steps
Mary appears overconfident about her ability to converse politely
Mrs. Shaw's hesitation suggests she knows from experience that Mary tends to say inappropriate things
Mary's casual attitude indicates she may not take the advice seriously enough