Select the correct answer.
Read this excerpt from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs:
O, ye happy women, whose purity has been sheltered from childhood, who have been free to choose the objects of your affection, whose homes are protected by law, do not judge the poor desolate slave girl too severely! If slavery had been abolished, I, also, could have married the man of my choice; I could have had a home shielded by the laws; and I should have been spared the painful task of confessing what I am now about to relate; but all my prospects had been blighted by slavery. I wanted to keep myself pure; and, under the most adverse circumstances, I tried hard to preserve my self-respect; but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon Slavery; and the monster proved too strong for me.
What is the author's main purpose in this excerpt?
A.
It highlights how abolishing slavery was important for all women in America.
B.
It illustrates how nineteenth-century America created a system that favored men over women.
C.
It draws a parallel between women to reveal the disparities faced by enslaved women.
D.
It draws a parallel between women's adult lives and their childhood experiences.
E.
It illustrates the need for laws to better protect the home for all women.
C. It draws a parallel between women to reveal the disparities faced by enslaved women.
C. It draws a parallel between women to reveal the disparities faced by enslaved women.
To determine the author's main purpose in this excerpt, we need to analyze the text and consider the overall message being conveyed. In this excerpt, the author discusses her own experiences as a slave girl and contrasts them with the experiences of women who have not been enslaved. She acknowledges that if slavery had been abolished, she could have married the man of her choice, had a home protected by the laws, and avoided the difficult task of sharing her story. However, she explains that her prospects have been ruined by slavery, and she has had to struggle alone in its grip.
The author's main purpose in this excerpt is to draw a parallel between the experiences of enslaved women and those who have not been enslaved. She is highlighting the disparities faced by enslaved women, emphasizing the lack of freedom, choice, and protection they have compared to other women.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. It draws a parallel between women to reveal the disparities faced by enslaved women.