Question

how, then, could it shakespeare’s genius have been born among women whose work began, according to professor trevelyan, almost before they were out of the nursery, who were forced to it by their parents and held to it by all the power of law and custom? yet genius of a sort must have existed among women as it must have existed among the working classes. now and again an emily brontë or a robert burns blazes out and proves its presence.
—a room of one’s own,
virginia woolf
which statement best explains how a rhetorical device supports the central idea?
○ an allusion is used to refer to the central idea.
○ parallel structure is used to imply the central idea of the passage.
○ a rhetorical question suggests the central idea.
○ understatement emphasizes the importance of the central idea.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the first sentence of the passage: "How, then, could it [Shakespeare’s genius] have been born among women whose work began...?" This is a rhetorical question (a question asked for effect, not to get an answer).
2. Check the options:

• "An allusion is used to refer to the central idea": The passage's first sentence is not an allusion (allusion refers to a well - known person, place, event, etc. indirectly).
• "Parallel structure is used to imply the central idea of the passage": The first sentence does not have parallel structure (parallel structure repeats a grammatical form).
• "A rhetorical question suggests the central idea": The first sentence is a rhetorical question that leads to the central idea about genius existing among women (and working classes) despite restrictions.
• "Understatement emphasizes the importance of the central idea": The first sentence is not an understatement (understatement downplays something).

Answer:

C. A rhetorical question suggests the central idea.