Read the excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice” by Julia Alvarez.

Question

Passage A:

Given this mandate of silence, I was a real thorn in my mother's side.

Passage B:

Unfortunately for my mother, I grew up to be a writer publishing under my maiden name. . . . When I published a first novel with a strong autobiographical base, she did not talk to me for months.

Passage C:

When the [second] novel came out, I decided to go ahead and risk her anger. I inscribed a copy to both Mami and Papi with a note: "Thank you for having instilled in me through your sufferings a desire for freedom and justice." . . . . Days later, my mother called me up to tell me she had just finished the novel. "You put me back in those days. It was like I was reliving it all," she said sobbing. "I don't care what happens to us! I'm so proud of you for writing this book."

I stood in my kitchen in Vermont, stunned, relishing her praise and listening to her cry. It was one of the few times since l had learned to talk that I did not try to answer my mother back. If there is such a thing as genetic justice that courses through the generations and finally manifests itself full-blown in a family moment, there it was.

How does the author develop the central idea across these passages?

A. Alvarez describes how she and her mother were emotionally distant, but once she moved to Vermont, her mother was finally able to bestow praise.
B. Alvarez describes events in her childhood to show how the relationship between her and her mother was strained, but improved as she grew older.
C. Alvarez traces moments that highlight her mother’s desire for silence, culminating in the moment her mother expressed pride in her writing.
D. Alvarez explains the difficulty she had in going against her mother’s wishes to write about their experiences and how it was worth it in the end.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. Alvarez traces moments that highlight her mother’s desire for silence, culminating in the moment her mother expressed pride in her writing.

In the passages, Alvarez illustrates the tension between her writing and her mother's expectations of silence regarding personal and family experiences. Initially, her mother reacts negatively to her autobiographical works. However, by the end, her mother overcomes her reservations and expresses pride in Alvarez's writing, which marks a significant emotional shift in their relationship. This progression underscores the theme of genetic justice as it relates to understanding and reconciling their experiences.