Question

How do the underlined sentences develop the central idea?

They emphasize the idea that male writers did not face obstacles that women did at the time.
They show that male writers were able to hone their craft despite not having access to books.
They convey the idea that only a genius like Shakespeare is capable of such greatness.
They support the idea that the human mind cannot achieve greatness without books and privacy.

Answer 1

They support the idea that the human mind cannot achieve greatness without books and privacy.

Explanation: the underlined sentences list and stress the material and personal conditions (access to books, money, a private room) that are necessary for creative work, reinforcing the passage’s central claim that external supports—rather than innate genius alone—enable literary greatness.