Read the excerpt from Trifles, by Susan Glaspell.

Question

COUNTY ATTORNEY. I guess before we’re through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about.

HALE. Well, women are used to worrying over trifles. (The two women move a little closer together.)

COUNTY ATTORNEY (with the gallantry of a young politician). And yet, for all their worries, what would we do without the ladies? (The women do not unbend. He goes to the sink, takes a dipperful of water from the pail and, pouring it into a basin, washes his hands. Starts to wipe them on the roller-towel, turns it for a cleaner place.) Dirty towels! (Kicks his foot against the pans under the sink.) Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?

Which theme of early feminist drama is reflected in the excerpt?
Men are not capable of completing certain tasks.
Women are expected to fulfill specific domestic obligations.
Both men and women are responsible for domestic chores.
Most women are content with their role in society.

Answer 1

The theme of early feminist drama reflected in the excerpt is: Women are expected to fulfill specific domestic obligations.

In this passage, the men discuss the state of the household, suggesting that a woman's role is tied to domestic responsibilities, such as housekeeping. The County Attorney's comments about the dirty towels and pans under the sink indicate an expectation that women should be managing the domestic sphere, while the men are dismissive of the women's concerns and experiences. This reflects the societal expectations placed on women during that time.

Answer 2

Read the excerpt from Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.

And so she must accept the fact that “American women’s unhappiness is merely the most recently won of women’s rights,” and adjust and say with the happy housewife found by Newsweek: “We ought to salute the wonderful freedom we all have and be proud of our lives today. I have had college and I’ve worked, but being a housewife is the most rewarding and satisfying role.”

The underlined key terms most relate to what issue?
politics
sociology
education
domesticity

Answer 3

The underlined key terms most relate to the issue of domesticity.

In this excerpt, the focus is on the role of women as housewives and the societal expectations surrounding that role. The discussion revolves around the notion of fulfillment and satisfaction in domestic life, highlighting the emphasis on women's roles within the home.

Answer 4

Read the excerpt from Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.

But the actual unhappiness of the American housewife was suddenly being reported—from The New York Times and Newsweek to Good Housekeeping and CBS television (“The Trapped Housewife”), although almost everybody who talked about it found some superficial reason to dismiss it.

Which best describes the connotation of the word “superficial” in the excerpt?
It has a positive connotation, because it suggests that the problem did not actually exist.
It has a positive connotation, because it suggests that the problem was actually a minor one.
It has a negative connotation, because it suggests that the reasons used to dismiss the problem were not meaningful.
It has a negative connotation, because it suggests that the reasons used to explain the problem were not truthful.

Answer 5

The best description of the connotation of the word "superficial" in the excerpt is: It has a negative connotation, because it suggests that the reasons used to dismiss the problem were not meaningful.

In this context, "superficial" implies that the explanations provided for the unhappiness of American housewives are shallow or lacking in depth, indicating that they do not adequately address the real issues at hand. This emphasizes a critique of how society is dismissing or oversimplifying the complex feelings of unhappiness experienced by housewives.

Answer 6

Read the excerpt from Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.

For over fifteen years there was no word of this yearning in the millions of words written about women, for women, in all the columns, books and articles by experts telling women their role was to seek fulfillment as wives and mothers. Over and over women heard in voices of tradition and of Freudian sophistication that they could desire no greater destiny than to glory in their own femininity.

Which words best emphasize society’s view of the “experts” who claimed to understand women’s needs?
books, glory
yearning, millions
fulfillment, femininity
tradition, sophistication

Answer 7

The words that best emphasize society’s view of the “experts” who claimed to understand women’s needs are tradition, sophistication.

These words suggest a critique of the established norms and perspectives promoted by these "experts." "Tradition" implies an adherence to outdated societal roles, while "sophistication" can imply a sense of false intellectualism or complexity that doesn't truly understand or address women's genuine needs and desires. Together, they reflect a dismissive view of the conventional beliefs held by those experts regarding women's roles.

Answer 8

Read the excerpt from Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.

Sometimes a woman would tell me that the feeling gets so strong she runs out of the house and walks through the streets. Or she stays inside her house and cries. Or her children tell her a joke, and she doesn’t laugh because she doesn’t hear it.

Which best describes the tone of the excerpt?
lighthearted
confused
indifferent
concerned

Answer 9

The tone of the excerpt is best described as concerned.

The descriptions of women feeling overwhelmed to the point of running out of the house, crying, or being unable to laugh at a joke indicate a deep emotional struggle. The language reflects an awareness of the serious issues surrounding women's unhappiness and suggests empathy for their experiences.

Answer 10

Read the excerpt from Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.

In the late fifties, a sociological phenomenon was suddenly remarked: a third of American women now worked, but most were no longer young and very few were pursuing careers. They were married women who held part-time jobs, selling or secretarial, to put their husbands through school, their sons through college, or to help pay the mortgage.

The key terms in the excerpt most contribute to which of the following ideas?
Women were always looking for ways to earn money.
Women were bored at home so they decided to work.
Women were often expected to sacrifice for males.
Women were not capable of pursuing professions.

Answer 11

The key terms in the excerpt most contribute to the idea that women were often expected to sacrifice for males.

The excerpt highlights that the majority of working women in the late fifties were married and held part-time jobs primarily to support their husbands' education, their sons' college expenses, or to help pay the mortgage. This indicates the societal expectation for women to prioritize the needs of male family members over their own career aspirations.