Question

read the passage from a room of ones own. to have lived a free life in london in the sixteenth century would have meant for a woman who was poet and playwright a nervous stress and dilemma which might well have killed her. had she survived, whatever she had written would have been twisted and deformed, issuing from a strained and morbid imagination. how do the connotations of the underlined words emphasize the authors point of view? the negative connotations of the words emphasize the authors feeling that societal norms damage women artists in severe and lasting ways. the negative connotations of the words emphasize the unreasonable extent to which women artists are challenged by the demands of the creative process. the positive connotations of the words emphasize the authors insistence that facing great challenges helps women enhance their creativity. the positive connotations of the words emphasize the authors belief that women artists are strong enough to overcome tremendous hardships.

Explanation:

The words "twisted," "deformed," "strained," and "morbid" all have negative connotations. They describe a situation that is harmful and damaging. The author is using these words to show that societal norms (which would have caused a woman poet/playwright in the 16th - century London to face such a situation) have severe and lasting negative impacts on women artists. The other options are incorrect because the words are clearly negative (so options with "positive connotations" are wrong), and the focus is on the damage from societal norms rather than just the challenges of the creative process.

Answer:

The negative connotations of the words emphasize the author's feeling that societal norms damage women artists in severe and lasting ways.