Question

Friends and know I have lived a long time and I have come a long way. And you must know now that what I did, I did originally for myself. Then later, as these things began happening to me, I wondered if they were happening to you, and then I knew they must be. And I knew that you had no way to defend yourselves, as I had.

And as I continued to do the things I did, and to say the things I said, they began to beat me. Not beat me, mind you, with a club—but you know, I have seen that done too—but they beat me with their pens, with their writings. And friends, that is much worse.
When I was a child and they burned me out of my home, I was frightened and I ran away.
Eventually I ran far away. It was to a place called France. Many of you have been there, and many have not. But I must tell you, ladies and gentlemen, in that country I never feared. It was like a fairyland place."
What was the initial motivation behind the actions of the speaker?
a) To help others
b) Self-interest
c) Curiosity
d) Peer pressure

Answer 1

The speaker's initial motivation behind their actions was self-interest.

Step-by-step explanation:

The initial motivation behind the actions of the speaker in the given passages is self-interest. The speaker mentions that they initially did things for themselves and later wondered if these things were happening to the readers as well. They also mention that they had the means to defend themselves, unlike the readers. The speaker's actions and words led to them being attacked with pens and writings, which they consider worse than physical beating.