Using Resources and Reference Materials for Editing — Unit test
Question 3 • Common Core ELA 11 - ELA3011 IC
Read the excerpt from "The Yellow Wallpaper."John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no REASON to suffer, and that satisfies him.Of course it is only nervousness. It does weigh on me so not to do my duty in any way!I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able,—to dress and entertain, and order things.How does the narrator’s viewpoint reveal a social attitude of Gilman’s time?
Answer
A
The narrator questions why she should perform certain duties, such as entertaining guests.
B
The narrator feels an overwhelming responsibility to meet society’s expectations.
C
The narrator thinks that her husband displays a great deal of nervousness, and she wonders about its source.
D
The narrator questions her place in society and her role as a mother and a wife.
Explanation
The narrator feels guilty that she cannot be the help, comfort, and homemaker she believes John needs. She calls herself a burden and describes even dressing, entertaining, and ordering things as difficult. This reveals the social expectation of Gilman’s time that women should fulfill domestic duties and support their husbands; the narrator does not question those duties so much as feel responsible for meeting them.
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