Question

Read the passage from A Room of One’s Own. There was an enormous body of masculine opinion to the effect that nothing could be expected of women intellectually. Even if her father did not read out loud these opinions, any girl could read them for herself; and the reading, even in the nineteenth century, must have lowered her vitality, and told profoundly upon her work. There would always have been that assertion—you cannot do this, you are incapable of doing that—to protest against, to overcome. Probably for a novelist this germ is no longer of much effect; for there have been women novelists of merit. But for painters it must still have some sting in it; and for musicians, I imagine, is even now active and poisonous in the extreme. The woman composer stands where the actress stood in the time of Shakespeare. Which statement best explains how the structure of this text supports Woolf’s purpose? The compare-contrast structure helps the reader understand how women artists in a variety of disciplines have been affected by cultural norms. The cause-effect structure supports the point of view that men, particularly fathers, are often the source of young women’s oppression. The problem-solution structure supports the point of view that conditions for women artists in most disciplines have improved dramatically. The chronological structure illustrates the pressures discouraging women artists from pursuing their passions from youth to adulthood.

Answer 1

Virginia Woolf's text utilizes a compare-contrast structure to convey the effects of cultural norms on women in various artistic fields, effectively supporting her assertion that progress and challenges coexist for women artists.

Step-by-step explanation:

The structure of the text from Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own bolsters her purpose by using a compare-contrast approach. This method enables readers to comprehend the varying impacts of cultural norms on women artists across different disciplines such as literature, painting, and music. Woolf highlights the historical challenges faced by women due to societal prejudices, which have questioned their intellectual capacities and impeded their creative pursuits. By contrasting the progress of women novelists with the struggles still faced by women painters and musicians, Woolf illustrates the varying degrees of improvement and the ongoing obstacles in these fields.

The correct statement that explains how the structure of this passage supports Woolf's purpose is that the compare-contrast structure helps the reader understand how women artists in a variety of disciplines have been affected by cultural norms. The passage does not strictly adhere to a chronological structure or a problem-solution framework. Instead, it contrasts the achievements and enduring challenges of different artistic disciplines to demonstrate the changes and persisting issues that women face.

Answer 2

The compare-contrast structure helps the reader understand how women artists in a variety of disciplines have been affected by cultural norms.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is because the text identifies the nature of the male patriarchal society towards the women sections of the society. There is often a masculine opinion which is dominated on the women of the society and this is the known fact even if it is not spoken about. Women in every discipline have been affected and dominated by the male dominating society because they feel that the woman's position is only restricted to home.