During the Victorian period, women writers were measured against

Para 1 Summary – Author starts with a conventional notion held against women writers during Victorian period. However, many women writers didn’t like the restrictions, and resisted, and would take things at hand.

Para 2 Summary – Author then gives few examples of women writers who refused the men’s courtesy and mentions what they thought of about critics reviews which were rather generous. However, they didn’t like the fact and considered the reviews absolute disrespect of their work.

Para 3 Summary – Then author gives an example of novel which many reviewers thought of written by a man but shocked to know that it was written by a women instead. Additionally, reviewers considered the novel a radical feminist document which Charlotte Bronte considered calculated disrespect to women writers.

Para 4 Summary – Author finally mentions about Charlotte’s experience (suggesting Jane Eyre was written by her) which made many women writers express about women liberation conservatively rather sharply but they did not went low on women education. However, do so led to threat of suppressed creativity because of Victorian modesty. Here author gives details what men can and what women can’t write.

Summary – Problems faced by women writers during Victorian period. What women writers wanted to write and expected society to accept writings as it is, however, that was not the case.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. Refute the contention that no Victorian woman writer produced a novel like War and Peace – WRONG. Author never refutes anything in the whole passage.
B. Trace the historical relationship between radical feminist politics and the Victorian novels written by women – WRONG. Only one paragraph of the passage is related to this, rest is about women writers struggle.
C. Show how three Victorian women writers responded to criticism of their novels – WRONG. Again only a part of a paragraph covers this scope. Limited scope hence wrong.
D. Resolve the apparent contradiction between Victorian women writers’ literary innovativeness and their rather conservative social views – WRONG. Resolution is not the intention anywhere reflected in the passage.
E. Describe the discrepancy between Victorian society’s expectations of women writers and the expectations of the women writers themselves – CORRECT. This once matches our summary i.e. the long held Victorian notion and Women writers struggle against that backdrop.

2. According to the passage, Victorian women writers “would not make concessions” (Highlighted) to publishers primarily because they felt that such concessions would

A. Require them to limit descriptions of uniquely feminine experiences – WRONG. Strictly women writer were not allowed to write any feminine experience. Refer para 4
B. Compromise their artistic integrity – CORRECT. Publishers discovered that women writers were tough- minded and relentless when their professional integrity (writing) was at stake. Refer Para 1 end part.
C. Make them vulnerable to stereotyping by critics – WRONG. Till that part of passage these women writers were not shown as if anyhow vulnerable to stereotyping.
D. Provide no guarantee that their works would enjoy commercial success – WRONG. Para 1 shows that women writers would give integrity more importance than commercial success.
E. Go against the traditions of English letters – WRONG. Irrelevant.

3. The passage suggests that Victorian criticism of works by women writers was

Marked B and got this one wrong.

A. Indulgent
B. Perfunctory
C. Resourceful
D. Timely
E. Apolitical

4. The author of the passage quotes Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Text in red) in order to demonstrate that Victorian women writers

A. Possessed both talent and literary creativity – WRONG. Elizabeth’s quote was written to show that women writer were disheartened in the way that criticism was generous given considering the gender bias not talent and creativity.
B. Felt that their works were misunderstood – WRONG. Can’t be said about understoos or not but certainly women writer didn’t like the criticism.
C. Refused to make artistic concessions – WRONG. Irrelevant to the context or at best opposite to what is said in passage.
D. Feared derisive criticism – WRONG. Exactly opposite to ‘expected derisive criticism’. Refer Para 2.
E. Resented condescending criticism – CORRECT. The criticism was disliked by women writers in that it was a disrespect to their work hence they opposed it.

5. It can be inferred from the passage that Charlotte Bronte considered the criticisms levelled at Jane Eyre by reactionary reviewers “an affront” (Highlighted) primarily because such criticism

Marked E. Had a doubt on ‘C’ and ‘D’ but could not infer properly.

A. Exposed her carefully concealed revolutionary doctrine to public scrutiny
B. Assessed the literary merit of the novel on the basis of its author’s sex
C. Assumed that her portrayal of an independent woman represented revolutionary ideas
D. Labeled the novel shocking and disgusting without just cause
E. Denied that the novel was a literary masterpiece

6. Which of the following statements best describes the “threat” (Highlighted)?

A. Critics demanded to know the sex of the author before passing judgment on the literary quality of a novel. – WRONG. Out of scope of passage.
B. Women writers were prevented from describing in print experiences about which they had special knowledge. – CORRECT. It was about unique feminine experiences which society rendered unprintable. Refer para 4.
C. The reading public tended to prefer historical novels to novels describing contemporary London society. – WRONG. Irrelevant.
D. Publishers were urging Victorian women writers to publish under their own names rather than under pseudonyms. – WRONG. Can’t be inferred from passage.
E. Women writers’ domestic responsibilities tended to take time away from their writing. WRONG. Irrelevant.

7. The passage suggests that the attitude of Victorian women writers toward being grouped together by critics was most probably one of

Answering correctly tests vocabulary and proper understanding of passage.

A. Relief – WRONG. Opposite to what women writers felt. They didn’t like the fact they were treated just like others.
B. Indifference – WRONG. This is a runner up of the answers for me. But the women writer were very much concerned of their writings expected people to write critique.
C. Amusement – WRONG. This suggests that they were glad instead they disliked being grouped.
D. Annoyance – CORRECT.
E. Ambivalence - This suggests that they were confused but they dislike being grouped.

8. It can be inferred from the passage that a Victorian woman writer who did not consider herself a feminist would most probably have approved of women’s

A. Entering the noncombat military - WRONG. Irrelevant.
B. Entering the publishing business - WRONG. Irrelevant.
C. Entering a university – CORRECT. In para 4 author mentions that women writers were focused and determined only for women education.
D. Joining the stock exchange – WRONG. Irrelevant.
E. Joining a tennis club - WRONG. Irrelevant.

9. The passage suggests that the literary creativity of Victorian women writers could have been enhanced if

Marked E. Got it totally wrong and misunderstood the option.

A. Women had been allowed to write about a broader range of subjects
B. Novels of the period had been characterized by greater stylistic and structural ingenuity
C. A reserved and decorous style had been a more highly valued literary ideal
D. Publishers had sponsored more new women novelists
E. Critics had been kinder in reviewing the works of women novelists.

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