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
Men were considered more able and trustworthy than women.
C
Judges spent a great deal of time reviewing court cases.
D
Courts were impartial mediators in marital disputes.
Explanation
The judge accepts the father’s word, while the mother’s complaint about unfairness goes unheard. This reflects a social norm in which men were often treated as more credible and authoritative than women. Choice B, “Men were considered more able and trustworthy than women,” best matches the excerpt; it does not show the court acting as an impartial mediator.
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