Question

eyes what field they were called to labor in. who made them serfs of the soil? why should they eat their sixty acres, when man is condemned to eat only his peck of dirt? why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born? they have got to live a mans life, pushing all these things before them, and get on well as they can. how many a poor immortal soul have i met well - nigh crushed and mothered under its load.^3 which statement best summarizes the passage? a. farms are often passed from generation to generation. b. farmers are often held prisoner by their own lands. c. a sufficient farm must be 60 acres or more. d. farmers make up a majority of his neighbors.

Explanation:

The passage describes farmers as "serfs of the soil" forced to labor on their land from birth, with lives burdened by this obligation ("crushed and mothered under its load"). Option B captures this sense of entrapment by their land, while other options do not align with the passage’s focus on farmers’ oppressive tie to their land.

Answer:

B. Farmers are often held prisoner by their own lands.