The phrase 'count days by the rising sun' most clearly signals what about the character's situation?

• A. They have a routine with regular daylight.
• B. They keep time by hourly clocks.
• C. They are experiencing hardship and time feels slow.
• D. They are planning sunrise rituals.

Answer: (C)

Counting days by the rising sun shows that normal timekeeping has been disrupted and the character is in a situation where time feels dragging and uncertain. When clocks or schedules aren’t available or reliable, people often mark time by natural cycles—like the sunrise—to keep track at all. This setting usually signals hardship, waiting, or a sense of endurance, where each day blends into the next and moments of progress feel slow.

It doesn’t point to a routine with regular daylight, nor to using hourly clocks, and it doesn’t imply planning rituals around sunrise. Each day simply begins with dawn, emphasizing the struggle and the stretched perception of time rather than orderly timekeeping or deliberate rituals.