Question

In her account of unmarried women’s experiences in colonial Philadelphia, Wulf argues that edu-

Line cated young women, particularly (5) Quakers, engaged in resistance to patriarchal marriage by exchanging poetry critical of marriage, copying verse into their commonplace books. Wulf suggests that this (10) critique circulated beyond the daughters of the Quaker elite and middle class, whose com- monplace books she mines, proposing that Quaker shools (15) brought it to many poor female students of diverse backgrounds.

Here Wulf probably overstates Quaker schools’ impact. At least three years’ study would be (20) necessary to achieve the literacy competence necessary to grapple with the material she analyzes. In 1765, the year Wulf uses to demonstrate the diversity of (25) Philadelphia’s Quaker schools, 128 students enrolled in these schools. Refining Wulf’s numbers by the information she provides on religious affiliation, gender, and (30) length of study, it appears that only about 17 poor non-quaker girls were educated in Philadelphia’s Quaker schools for three years or longer. While Wulf is correct that (35) a critique of patriarchal marriage circulated broadly, Quaker schools probably cannot be credited with instilling these ideas in the lower classes. Popular literary satires (40) on marriage had already landed on fertile ground in a multiethnic population that embodied a wide range of marital beliefs and practices. These ethnic- and (45) class-based traditions themselves challenged the legitimacy of patriarchal marriage.

The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. argue against one aspect of Wulf’s account of how ideas critical of marriage were disseminated among young women in colonial Philadelphia
B. discuss Wulf’s interpretation of the significance for educated young women in colonial Philadelphia of the poetry they copied into their commonplace books
C. counter Wulf’s assertions about the impact of the multiethnic character of colonial Philadelphia’s population on the prevalent views about marriage
D. present data to undermine Wulf’s assessment of the diversity of the student body in Quaker schools in colonial Philadelphia
E. challenge Wulf’s conclusion that a critique of marriage was prevalent among young women of all social classes in colonial Philadelphia

Answer 1

Taking into account the statement above: "In her account of unmarried women’s experiences in colonial Philadelphia, Wulf argues that edu-

Line cated young women, particularly (5) Quakers, engaged in resistance to patriarchal marriage by exchanging poetry critical of marriage, copying verse into their commonplace books. Wulf suggests that this (10) critique circulated beyond the daughters of the Quaker elite and middle class, whose com- monplace books she mines, proposing that Quaker shools (15) brought it to many poor female students of diverse backgrounds.

Here Wulf probably overstates Quaker schools’ impact. At least three years’ study would be (20) necessary to achieve the literacy competence necessary to grapple with the material she analyzes. In 1765, the year Wulf uses to demonstrate the diversity of (25) Philadelphia’s Quaker schools, 128 students enrolled in these schools. Refining Wulf’s numbers by the information she provides on religious affiliation, gender, and (30) length of study, it appears that only about 17 poor non-quaker girls were educated in Philadelphia’s Quaker schools for three years or longer. While Wulf is correct that (35) a critique of patriarchal marriage circulated broadly, Quaker schools probably cannot be credited with instilling these ideas in the lower classes. Popular literary satires (40) on marriage had already landed on fertile ground in a multiethnic population that embodied a wide range of marital beliefs and practices. These ethnic- and (45) class-based traditions themselves challenged the legitimacy of patriarchal marriage.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. argue against one aspect of Wulf’s account of how ideas critical of marriage were disseminated among young women in colonial Philadelphia

B. discuss Wulf’s interpretation of the significance for educated young women in colonial Philadelphia of the poetry they copied into their commonplace books

C. counter Wulf’s assertions about the impact of the multiethnic character of colonial Philadelphia’s population on the prevalent views about marriage

D. present data to undermine Wulf’s assessment of the diversity of the student body in Quaker schools in colonial Philadelphia

E. challenge Wulf’s conclusion that a critique of marriage was prevalent among young women of all social classes in colonial Philadelphia"

The answer is: A.