Question

Question was provided via image upload.

Explanation:

Analyze the essay's central argument

The essay is titled "The Costs of Consumerism." The introductory paragraph sets up the historical context of the industrial revolution and the rise of consumerism. It concludes with a sentence that presents the author's main argument or stance on this development.

Evaluate the candidate thesis statements

Using the Evaluating Claims and Thesis Support Analysis knowledge points, we analyze the final sentence of the first paragraph: "But the American 'community of consumers' was more costly than beneficial." This sentence makes a debatable, overarching claim that the rest of the essay supports by detailing the negative impacts (brutal working conditions, child labor, and family separation) versus the benefits of consumerism.

Match with the multiple-choice options

We examine the visible options at the bottom of the image:

• Option 1: "In the years after Reconstruction, the United States was undergoing an industrial revolution." (This is a historical fact, not a thesis.)
• Option 2: "American consumers learned to want, and then to buy." (This is an observation of consumer behavior.)
• Option 3: "But the American 'community of consumers' was more costly than beneficial." (This is the central claim/thesis statement.)

Answer:

• (A) In the years after Reconstruction, the United States was undergoing an industrial revolution.
• (B) American consumers learned to want, and then to buy.
• (C) But the American "community of consumers" was more costly than beneficial. (Correct answer)