Question

read the excerpt from eighty years and more.

with this constant teasing from students and the sad complaints of the women, my mind was sorely confused. so when, from time to time, my attention was called to these horrible laws, i would mark them with a pencil, and becoming more and more convinced of the necessity of taking some active measures against these unjust laws, i resolved to seize the first opportunity, when alone in the office, to cut every one of them out of the books; supposing my father and his library were the beginning and the end of the law.

which statement best describes the central idea of this excerpt?

stanton first fought for gender equality when she discovered that she disagreed with her father.
stanton destroyed her fathers law library because she did not agree with the laws.
stanton attempted to cut laws out of her fathers books so he was unable to enforce them.
stanton discovered gender inequality and felt called to fight against it.

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt

Using the Text Evidence knowledge point
The author describes being "confused" by "teasing" and "sad complaints of the women" regarding "horrible" and "unjust [laws]." She resolved to "take some active measures" by cutting them out of her father's law books, believing his library was the "beginning and the end of the law."

Determine the central idea

Using the Central Idea knowledge point
The passage details how the author first became aware of unjust laws affecting women (gender inequality) and felt a strong, active urge to fight against them by physically removing them from the law books. This represents her awakening to gender inequality and her calling to combat it.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1: Incorrect. The text does not state she first fought because she disagreed with her father, but rather because she wanted to eliminate the unjust laws themselves.
• Option 2: Incorrect. She did not destroy the entire library; she only resolved to cut specific laws out of the books.
• Option 3: Incorrect. While she wanted to cut the laws out, the text does not say it was to prevent her father from enforcing them, but rather because she thought his library was the "beginning and the end of the law."
• Option 4: Correct. This option accurately captures her discovery of unjust laws (gender inequality) and her resolution to take active measures against them.

Answer:

• Stanton first fought for gender equality when she discovered that she disagreed with her father.
• Stanton destroyed her father's law library because she did not agree with the laws.
• Stanton attempted to cut laws out of her father's books so he was unable to enforce them.
• Stanton discovered gender inequality and felt called to fight against it. (Correct answer)