While the main idea of the passage is not discussed until the final paragraph of the passage, C is the correct answer because the first two paragraphs are used to build up to this main idea. The first paragraph outlines Dexter's "golden age" theory which argues that colonial women were relatively self-sufficient due to the small size of the settler population and the limitations that this imposed on the potential for rigid sex-role distinctions, particularly regarding employment and marriage. The second paragraph outlines how this theory was incorporated into the studies of nineteenth-century women, leading to the widely-supported idea that there was a perceptible decline in the quality of life from the colonial era to the nineteenth century. After setting this up, the author discusses recent publications which have demonstrated that the "golden age" theory is simplistic and unsophisticated, based its analysis too strongly on the simplicity of the colonial social system and the economic function of women at this time.
This idea - that recent scholarship has exposed an earlier theory about the status of colonial women as too narrowly based and oversimplified (or answer choice C) - is the main idea of the passage. In order for the main idea to be effectively discussed, the first two paragraphs are necessary as they outline (i) what the earlier theory is and (ii) how it was incorporated into studies of women beyond the colonial era.
In addition to this reasoning, we can see that the other four answers are clearly incorrect. A is incorrect as the passage provides no information regarding whether research on the status of middle-class women in the nineteenth century has been supported by recent scholarship. B is incorrect because it was recent scholarship on colonial women which altered the earlier theory, not studies of middle-class nineteenth century women. D is incorrect because, while the author does discuss that the theory about colonial women was incorporated into scholarship about middle-class women in the nineteenth century, we do not know the extent to which this theory influenced this scholarship. Finally, E is incorrect because the passage argues that the theory on colonial women, as opposed to women in the nineteenth century, was based on insufficient and oversimplified research.
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joaquin-acunaMay 23, 2020
Hi Victoria! great explanation! however, I still do not get it why paragraph 2 is need for the main idea to be effectively discussed (in paragraph 3). Could you please elaborate on this a little bit more?
How is it that it can be inferred that paragraph 3 questions Dexter's golden age account of the story?
