Read the passage below and answer the question. ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and talcum. the tone of the excerpt above can best be described as cynical and calculating sad and lonely childlike and magical confused and meandering

I would contend that the right answer is actually the A) cynical and calculating.  

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that in this passage from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Scout is using a cynical and carefully chosen tone in order to describe how women behaved and looked in the town of Maycomb. Specifically, he is comparing them to "soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and talcum." Those words do not sound sad, lonely, childlike, magical, confused or meandering, but visually powerful, mocking, and disenchanted.    

hey there

use of language is very important in order to write in a good way. each literary genre has its different exploitation of language and, therefore, many differences and similarities can emerge. shakespeare's work (romeo and juliet) is a sample of a drama. its language is full of dialogue to describe the beauty of first love in people; everything it's pink color. it briefly describes fictional scenes and situations. on the other hand, the calypso borealis, by john muirs, it's narrative essay: its language is full of descriptions to describe an experience, a real experience. hyperbole is not used as in drama genre. he falls in love with discovering a real place and his direct feelings.

hope this !

f yes, , mark brainliest : )

have a good night.