Question

part 3: using media to extend understanding of an informational text
assignment active
analyzing cultural significance
macgregors text:
thirty-three years before, emmelines husband had drafted the first womens suffrage bill for parliament, which was doing well in the house of commons until the prime minister, william gladstone, spoke out against it:
i have no fear lest the woman should encroach upon the power of the man. the fear i have is, lest we should invite her unwittingly to trespass against the delicacy, the purity, the refinement, the elevation of her own nature, which are the present sources of its power.
by invoking the delicacy and refinement of women, gladstone made a calculated appeal to traditional, repressive ideas of how a lady should
what cultural shift does the penny represent?
edward vii becoming less respected by society
prime minister william gladstone realizing that his ideas about women were wrong
fewer people concerning themselves with obeying the law
women becoming more concerned with their rights and less concerned with acting \ladylike\

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context of the text

Using the Historical Significance Analysis knowledge point, we examine the provided text by MacGregor. The passage details how William Gladstone opposed the Women's Suffrage Bill by appealing to traditional, repressive ideas of how a "lady" should behave, emphasizing "delicacy," "purity," and "refinement." This establishes the traditional cultural expectation of women acting "ladylike" as a barrier to their political rights.

Connect the defaced penny to the cultural shift

Using the Cause and Effect Analysis knowledge point, we evaluate what a "defaced penny" (a common medium of protest used by the Suffragettes, who stamped coins with "Votes for Women") represents in response to these traditional expectations. Defacing a coin was an act of civil disobedience. By engaging in such protests, women actively rejected the passive, quiet "delicacy" and "refinement" expected of them by traditional society.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

We compare our analysis against the given choices:

• Edward VII becoming less respected: Incorrect, as the focus is on women's suffrage and societal expectations of women.
• William Gladstone realizing his ideas were wrong: Incorrect, as Gladstone's opposition represents the traditional barrier, not a change in his personal stance.
• Fewer people concerning themselves with obeying the law: Incorrect, as this is too broad and misses the specific gender and rights-focused context of the suffrage movement.
• Women becoming more concerned with their rights and less concerned with acting "ladylike": Correct, as it directly contrasts the political fight for rights with the repressive "ladylike" expectations described in the text.

Answer:

• Edward VII becoming less respected by society
• Prime Minister William Gladstone realizing that his ideas about women were wrong
• fewer people concerning themselves with obeying the law
• women becoming more concerned with their rights and less concerned with acting "ladylike" (Correct answer)