There was an improvised platform at the end of the common closest to Jackson Street. There in the center of a group of men, whom she knew by their worn clothes to be workers, was a stranger with a bright red bow tie sticking out of his overcoat. The crowd roared at the sight of him. "Ettor! Ettor!" they cried. So this was the dangerous Joe Ettor. He seemed hardly threatening to Rosa. He was not so tall as Papa had been, but he did have the same mass of curly dark hair, and he smiled at the marchers as he raised his hands for silence. Immediately, the crowd was still, and Rosa could hear his voice ringing in the cold air.

Question

There was an improvised platform at the end of the common closest to Jackson Street. There in the center of a group of men, whom she knew by their worn clothes to be workers, was a stranger with a bright red bow tie sticking out of his overcoat. The crowd roared at the sight of him. "Ettor! Ettor!" they cried. So this was the dangerous Joe Ettor. He seemed hardly threatening to Rosa. He was not so tall as Papa had been, but he did have the same mass of curly dark hair, and he smiled at the marchers as he raised his hands for silence. Immediately, the crowd was still, and Rosa could hear his voice ringing in the cold air.
From Katherine Paterson, Bread and Roses, Too. Copyright 2006 by Minna Murra, Inc.
The previous text suggested that Ettor brought unity to different groups of strikers. How does this historical novel build on or challenge that idea?
it illustrates ettor's popularity with strike participants
it explains how ettor rose power during the strike it question whether ettor was an inspiring leader

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The excerpt from Katherine Paterson's *Bread and Roses, Too* illustrates Joe Ettor's popularity with the strike participants, as evidenced by the crowd's enthusiastic reaction when he is introduced. The shout of "Ettor! Ettor!" from the workers indicates that he commands their attention and support, suggesting he is a unifying figure for the strikers. While the passage does not delve deeply into how Ettor rose to power or explicitly assess whether he was an inspiring leader, the immediate impact of his presence on the crowd suggests a sense of admiration and unity among diverse groups of workers. His ability to silence the crowd and connect with them demonstrates that he resonates with their struggles, which aligns with the idea of him being a unifying force. However, without further context from the rest of the novel, one cannot definitively claim that this passage entirely confirms or challenges the idea of his leadership. It primarily highlights his popularity, which implies a certain level of effectiveness in unifying the strikers, but it leaves open questions about the depth of his leadership qualities and the complexities of his role in the broader context of the strike.