Question

[Rockefeller] was like a general who, besieging a city surrounded by fortified hills, views from a balloon the whole great field, and sees how, this point taken, that must fall; this hill reached, that fort is commanded. And nothing was too small: the corner grocery in Browntown, the humble refining still on Oil Creek, the shortest private pipe line.

Which best summarizes Ida Tarbell’s assessment of Standard Oil?

The company was appreciated in its community.
The company was interested in cooperating with other businesses.
The company was ruthless in its drive to eliminate competition.
The company was focused on establishing lower prices.

Answer 1

The company was ruthless in its drive to eliminate competition.

Ida Tarbell’s military siege metaphor and emphasis on targeting even the smallest rivals shows a deliberate, aggressive strategy to dominate and crush competitors.