Question

read the passage from sugar changed the world. some of the enslaved took the next step. running away from the sugar plantations, or attacking them in force, was another kind of statement. when the enslaved africans could not stand their lives anymore, they risked everything to run or to fight. there was just one way for the owners to silence their workers: by making the price of flight or rebellion too high. spreading terror was the job of the overseer. how does the authors use of the word silence affect the tone? silence has a negative connotation, indicating that the mill owners wanted a quiet workplace. silence has a positive connotation, indicating that quiet workers are productive workers. silence has a negative connotation, indicating that the owners would not tolerate protests. silence has a positive connotation, indicating that enslaved pe took part in wordless protests.

Explanation:

The word "silence" in the context of slave owners making the price of flight or rebellion too high (through overseers spreading terror) implies suppression. A negative connotation is appropriate as it shows the owners' harsh measures to stop any form of protest (flight or rebellion) from the enslaved. The first option about a quiet workplace is too simplistic. The second option with a positive connotation for "silence" (productive workers) is wrong as the text is about suppression. The fourth option's positive connotation (wordless protests) is incorrect as the "silence" here is forced by the owners, not a form of protest by the enslaved in a positive sense.

Answer:

Silence has a negative connotation, indicating that the owners would not tolerate protests.