Question

read the excerpt from a girl from yamhill.

he does not faint. somehow mother boosts him along to the parlor couch. later, after the doctor has gone, we learn that a sudden jerk on the reins by a team of horses has dislocated the arm, an accident that has happened before in his heavy farm work, for his shoulder sockets are too shallow for the weight of his muscles. mothers determination always supports him to the couch.

which universal theme is present in this excerpt?

• hard work often leads to injuries and suffering.
• people sacrifice and work hard for those whom they love.
• people who sacrifice for their families are rewarded.
• a person who works too hard is forced to depend on others.

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt

The excerpt from A Girl from Yamhill describes a father who has suffered a dislocated arm due to a sudden jerk on the reins by a team of horses. The text notes that this accident "has happened before in his heavy farm work, for his shoulder sockets are too shallow for the weight of his muscles." This directly connects his physical injury and suffering to his demanding physical labor on the farm.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "Hard work often leads to injuries and suffering." This directly aligns with the Textual Evidence Analysis showing that his heavy farm work repeatedly causes his shoulder to dislocate, leading to physical suffering.
• Option 2: "People sacrifice and work hard for those whom they love." While the mother supports him, the focus of the passage's description of the work and injury is on the physical toll of the labor itself, not a sacrifice motivated by love.
• Option 3: "People who sacrifice for their families are rewarded." There is no mention of a reward in the text; instead, he is injured and needs to be helped to the couch.
• Option 4: "A person who works too hard is forced to depend on others." Although the mother supports him to the couch, the passage emphasizes the recurring nature of the injury due to the physical demands of his "heavy farm work" rather than a broader theme of forced dependency.

Identify the universal theme

Using Theme Identification, we look for the broader statement about life that the text supports. The text explicitly links the father's repetitive, painful injuries (dislocated arm) directly to his "heavy farm work." Therefore, the universal theme present in this excerpt is that hard work can lead to physical toll, injuries, and suffering.

Answer:

• Hard work often leads to injuries and suffering. (Correct answer)
• People sacrifice and work hard for those whom they love.
• People who sacrifice for their families are rewarded.
• A person who works too hard is forced to depend on others.