Question

Read the passage.

excerpt from Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly

While I was there a pretty young girl was brought in. She had been sick, and she fought against being put in that dirty place. One night the nurses took her and, after beating her, they held her naked in a cold bath, then they threw her on her bed. When morning came the girl was dead. The doctors said she died of convulsions, and that was all that was done about it.

Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this narrative.

How does this paragraph develop the author's claim in Ten Days in a Mad-House?


It offers the opinion of an expert—the doctor—to support the claim.


It uses rhetorical devices such as figurative language to appeal to readers' emotions.


It uses logical reasoning to support the author's claim.


It provides a specific, relevant example as evidence for the author's claim.

Answer 1

The passage from Nellie Bly's work uses a specific, shocking example to substantiate the author's claim about inhumane asylum conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage from Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly contributes to developing the author's claim by providing a specific and shocking example of the inhumane treatment experienced by patients in the asylum. This anecdote effectively illustrates the severity and the reality of the mistreatment, supporting the author's claim about the deplorable conditions and practices within the institution. The description of the young girl's abuse and subsequent death is a direct and powerful piece of evidence that speaks to the neglect and brutality that were commonplace, making the narrative not just a collection of personal experiences but also a societal criticism and a call for reform.