Question

Read the excerpt from Black Boy. Then my father was called; he came forward jauntily, smiling. He tried to kiss my mother, but she turned away from him. I only heard one sentence of what he said. “I’m doing all I can, Your Honor,” he mumbled, grinning. It had been painful to sit and watch my mother crying and my father laughing and I was glad when we were outside in the sunny streets. Back at home my mother wept again and talked complainingly about the unfairness of the judge who had accepted my father’s word. What societal norm of the early twentieth century does this excerpt reflect?

Answer 1

The societal norm reflected in the excerpt from Black Boy is the expectation of women to be submissive to men.

Step-by-step explanation:

The societal norm of the early twentieth century reflected in the excerpt from Black Boy is the expectation of women to be submissive to men, particularly within a marriage. The father's jaunty and smiling attitude despite the mother's distress shows the unequal power dynamic between men and women during this time. The mother's weeping and complaints about the unfairness of the judge accepting the father's word highlights the lack of agency and control that women had in their own lives and in the legal system.

Answer 2

B

Step-by-step explanation: