Answer:
C). Gilman was challenging the status quo, as many early feminists did.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gilman's reasoning mirror her reaction that she was challenging the status quo similar to the previous feminists. The social context she lived and wrote in and the social beliefs and discrimination against women that was prevalent at the time are greatly reflected through her works. She argued that the existing domestic atmosphere that tyrannizes women by the patriarchal norms of society. She further asserts that there is no requirement for women to play maternal roles(highly prevalent at the time) as due to this their reasoning abilities have been overlooked. She says the brain doesn't have sex. Thus, her reaction to the social context included that 'Gilman was challenging the status quo, as many early feminists did'. So, option C is the answer.