Question

What are "gallantries"?

When she sat down to dinner at her round table with its three-day old cloth, and watched her husband opposite her lift the lid of the soup tureen and exclaim, delighted: “Ah, a good homemade beef stew! There’s nothing better . . .” she would visualize elegant dinners with gleaming silver amid tapestried walls peopled by knights and ladies and exotic birds in a fairy forest; she would think of exquisite dishes served on gorgeous china, and of gallantries whispered and received with sphinx-like smiles while eating the pink flesh of trout or wings of grouse.

A. Acts of bravery and heroism
B. Rudeness and disrespect
C. Acts of polite attention to the needs of women
D. Expressions of anger and frustration

Answer 1

Gallantries refer to acts of polite and often fli_rtatious attentions to the needs of women, typically seen in a romanticized social setting. The correct option is option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term gallantries refers to acts of polite attention to the needs of women. In the provided text, it is indicative of chivalrous or fli_rtatious actions, often associated with the genteel courting practices of a bygone era. The sentence describes a woman imagining refined social interactions, where men are likely to offer sophisticated compliments and show tasteful attention towards women. This kind of gallantry is contrasted with her more mundane reality, reflecting a yearning for a more romanticized social engagement.