Which of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the following stanza (lines 46-54)?
oh mother you plunged me sobbing and laughing
into our past
into the river crossing at five
into the spinach fields
into the plainview cotton rows
into tuberculosis wards
into braids and muslin dresses
sewn hard and taut to withstand the thrashings of
twenty-five years
Answer choices for the above question
A. Thinking about her mother is too painful for the speaker.
B. The mother gave birth to the speaker when she was twenty-five years old.
C. The speaker’s family likely did farm work in order to survive.
D. The quilts were sewn into dresses when the speaker was old enough.
Which lines from this stanza most strongly support the answer to Question 3?
Answer choices for the above question
A. “oh mother you plunged me sobbing and laughing / into our past”
B. “into the spinach fields / into the plainview cotton rows”
C. “into tuberculosis wards / into braids and muslin dresses”
D. “sewn hard and taut to withstand the thrashings of / twenty-five years”
C. “into tuberculosis wards / into braids and muslin dresses”
What is the original purpose of the mother’s quilts? Why does the speaker find deeper meaning in them? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.
The original purpose of the mother's quilts was to keep the speaker warm. However, the speaker finds deeper meaning in them because they represent the history and memories of their family.
The textual evidence to support this answer can be found in the following lines:
"oh mother you plunged me sobbing and laughing
into our past"
These lines suggest that the mother's quilts are a vehicle for the speaker to delve into their family's past and connect to their history. The quilts, as a physical object, hold the memories and experiences that the speaker emotionally immerses themselves in. This deeper meaning goes beyond the practical purpose of keeping warm, and instead symbolizes the speaker's connection to their heritage.
To determine the correct answer to the first question, we need to analyze the given stanza and make an inference based on the information provided. Let's break down each line of the stanza to understand its implications:
"oh mother you plunged me sobbing and laughing
into our past
into the river crossing at five
into the spinach fields
into the plainview cotton rows
into tuberculosis wards
into braids and muslin dresses
sewn hard and taut to withstand the thrashings of
twenty-five years"
From these lines, it is clear that the speaker's mother played a significant role in their life, guiding and exposing them to various experiences. The phrase "plunged me sobbing and laughing" suggests a mixture of emotions, indicating that thinking about the mother evokes both joy and sadness.
Now, let's analyze each answer choice:
A. Thinking about her mother is too painful for the speaker.
While the stanza mentions sobbing, it also mentions laughing, suggesting a mixture of emotions. Therefore, it cannot be inferred that thinking about the mother is solely painful.
B. The mother gave birth to the speaker when she was twenty-five years old.
There is no direct information in the stanza that supports or implies that the mother gave birth to the speaker at the age of twenty-five. This inference is not supported by the given lines.
C. The speaker’s family likely did farm work in order to survive.
The mention of "spinach fields" and "plainview cotton rows" implies that the speaker's family was likely involved in agricultural work. This inference is supported by the lines provided.
D. The quilts were sewn into dresses when the speaker was old enough.
There is no mention of quilts in the stanza, making this inference unsupported by the given lines.
Based on the analysis, the most strongly supported inference is C: The speaker's family likely did farm work in order to survive.
Moving on to the second question, we need to identify the specific lines in the stanza that strongly support the answer to Question 3. Let's analyze each answer choice:
A. "oh mother you plunged me sobbing and laughing / into our past"
While these lines establish the emotional impact of the mother's influence, they do not specifically support the answer to Question 3.
B. "into the spinach fields / into the plainview cotton rows"
These lines directly mention the fields associated with agricultural work, which aligns with farming as a means of survival. Therefore, these lines strongly support the answer to Question 3.
C. "into tuberculosis wards / into braids and muslin dresses"
Though these lines provide additional information about the speaker's experiences, they are not directly related to farming or work for survival.
D. "sewn hard and taut to withstand the thrashings of / twenty-five years"
While these lines suggest the durability of the dresses, they do not specifically support the answer to Question 3.
Thus, the lines that most strongly support the answer to Question 3 are B: "into the spinach fields / into the plainview cotton rows."