What did Mattie say to Yarnell to persuade him to go to the hanging?

• A. She offered him money to go.
• B. She told him that they would not tell her mother that they went to the hanging.
• C. She promised to protect him from trouble.
• D. She said the hanging would be exciting.

Answer: (B)

The key idea being tested is how a character uses secrecy to overcome another’s reluctance. In this moment, Mattie taps into Yarnell’s fear of getting in trouble with his mother. By promising that they will not tell her mother they went to the hanging, she eliminates the risk of parental consequences, making the outing feel daring but controllable. That appeal to keeping something secret is a clever leverage: it reframes the risk as something they can undertake without authority figures finding out, which is exactly the kind of motive that persuades Yarnell to join.

This fits Mattie’s resourceful, plan-driven approach—she knows what would sway him and offers a concrete, believable assurance. The other options miss that dynamic: money would introduce a bribery angle, which isn’t the tactic she uses; promising to shield him from trouble would require her to guarantee safety in ways she can’t; and casting it as exciting focuses on thrill rather than the practical appeal of evading parental notice.