Read this excerpt from “Life Without Go-Go Boots” and answer the question. Once I left home and went to college I was on my own, fashion-wise … . But I found I still had to reckon with life’s limited choices. After classes I worked variously as a house cleaner, typesetter, and artists’ model. I could spend my wages on trendy apparel … or on the lesser gratifications of food and textbooks. It was a tough call, but I opted for education. This was Indiana and it was cold; when it was cold, it was rainy. I bought an army surplus overcoat, with zip-out lining, that reached my ankles, and I found in my parents’ attic a green pith helmet. Using context clues and what you have learned about the importance of diction, what is the best meaning Kingsolver intends to give to the phrase "or on the lesser gratifications of food and textbooks"? In about 75 words, discuss what the context clues were in the above excerpt that help support your answer. Use specific words that were clues for you.
