Question

look at the details from paragraph 17.
one morning when my hard bread and sloppy coffee were brought to me, colonel berdiker said to me, \mother, dont eat that stuff!\ after that he sent my breakfast to me—good, plain food. he was a man with a heart, who perhaps imagined his own mother imprisoned in a cellar with the sewer rats union.
how does the central idea about mother jones enduring difficult conditions emerge from these details?
the key way the details develop the central idea is by
revealing thoughts that the readers likely share
presenting contrasting descriptions of her meals
providing specific information about the setting
sharing the reactions of another character to her plight.

Explanation:

The text first describes the poor - quality food ("hard bread and sloppy coffee") Mother Jones was initially given. Then it contrasts this with the "good, plain food" she received later. This contrast between the two types of meals highlights the difficult conditions she endured (the bad food) and how there was a change (to better food).

Answer:

presenting contrasting descriptions of her meals