Final answer:
Esperanza charged the Keepers with the task of watching over the convicts, reflecting a broader social critique of confinement and surveillance. Opium in China post-war resulted in widespread addiction and loss of authority by the Qing dynasty, with the British forcing the reopening of ports to the opium trade and gaining control over Hong Kong.
Step-by-step explanation:
The context of this question revolves around the historical event known as the First Opium War, which took place between 1839 and 1842. The conflict was rooted in the opium trade between China and Great Britain, with China taking a strong stance against the importation and addiction concerns caused by opium. The Chinese commissioner, Lin Zexu, was charged with suppressing the trade and sent a letter to Queen Victoria appealing to her sense of justice and morality to stop the harmful trade. Despite the efforts, the British retaliated, eventually forcing China to accept unfavorable terms that included reopening ports to the opium trade, as well as ceding Hong Kong.
Post-war Opium in China continued to be a problem with widespread addiction and loss of sovereign control exacerbated by effective loss of authority by the Qing dynasty over many matters. This led to a series of unequal treaties which severely impacted the region’s political and economic autonomy.