Why do you think the grandmother felt embarrassed to ask someone else to read to her while the narrator was away?
The grandmother felt embarrassed to ask someone else to read to her because she was a sixty-two-year-old woman who had never went to school and could not read. At her age, depending on others for something as basic as reading made her feel helpless and hurt her self-respect.
She was a lady who was usually always smiling and had never cried even in the most difficult situations. This shows she was a strong and dignified person. Asking someone else to read would publicly highlight her illiteracy, making her feel embarrassed about her lack of independence.
Moreover, reading the magazine was a special routine. Every Wednesday, the narrator would read the next episode to her, and she would forget all her work to listen. Having to ask someone else to fulfil this personal need would be awkward and constantly remind her of her dependency.
Ultimately, this very embarrassment motivated her to become independent. She strongly believed that there is no age limit for learning, which gave her the determination to overcome her hesitation and learn to read herself.
Explanation
The question requires an inferential understanding of the grandmother's character and her situation based on the text. The context highlights that she was a 62-year-old woman who never went to school and couldn't read. She was used to her granddaughter reading to her every Wednesday. Her usual cheerful and strong demeanor (never crying in difficult situations) contrasts with her vulnerability regarding her illiteracy. Asking someone else would mean exposing her inability to read, which hurt her dignity and made her feel dependent, leading to embarrassment. This embarrassment ultimately fueled her determination to learn, reflecting the theme that there is no age limit for learning.