Question

Read the excerpt from A History of the World in 100 Objects.

This object has on it the image of a king, but this particular example has been appropriated by women – disfigured by a slogan as an act of female protest against the laws of the state. It is a British penny with King Edward VII in elegant profile, but his image has been defaced in what was then a criminal act. Stamped all over the king’s head in crude capitals are the words VOTES FOR WOMEN.

Why does the author include this description of the penny in the beginning of the chapter?

to emphasize for the reader the difference between modern currency and the British currency of that time period
to make the reader wonder about what was featured on the other side of the penny
to make the reader visualize the coin and become interested in learning more about the culturally significant artifact
to explain to the reader how women of this time period were negatively affected by most laws

Answer 1

to make the reader visualize the coin and become interested in learning more about the culturally significant artifact

The vivid description draws the reader in, creating a mental image and highlighting the coin’s historical and symbolic importance (the suffragette protest), which encourages further reading.