Read the excerpt from Black Boy . Then my father was called; he came forward jauntily, smiling. He tried to kiss my mother, but she turned away from him. I only heard one sentence of what he said. “I’m doing all I can, Your Honor,” he mumbled, grinning. It had been painful to sit and watch my mother crying and my father laughing and I was glad when we were outside in the sunny streets. Back at home my mother wept again and talked complainingly about the unfairness of the judge who had accepted my father’s word. What societal norm of the early twentieth century does this excerpt reflect?
Answer
A
Women cherished their domestic roles within the home.
B
Courts were impartial mediators in marital disputes.
C
Men were considered more able and trustworthy than women.
D
Judges spent a great deal of time reviewing court cases.
Explanation
The judge accepts the father’s word, while the mother’s complaint about the unfair decision is dismissed. This reflects the early twentieth-century assumption that men were more credible and trustworthy than women, making A, “Men were considered more able and trustworthy than women,” the best answer. The excerpt does not suggest that the court was impartial or that the judge carefully reviewed the case.
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