Question

It can be inferred that which of the following is most likely to be among the "issues" mentioned in line 38?

• A. Why has the work of Griffith, a woman writer who was popular in her own century, been excluded from the canon?
• B. In what ways did Griffith's work reflect the political climate of the eighteenth century?
• C. How was Griffith's work received by literary critics during the eighteenth century?
• D. How did the error in the title of Griffith's play come to be made?
• E. How did critical reception of Griffith's work affect the quantity and quality of that work?

Hint:

For inference questions tied to a specific line, the answer is almost always found in the sentences immediately surrounding that line. The context provides the clues needed to make a logical leap.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an inference question that asks us to identify a specific question or "issue" that the course is designed to raise, based on context clues.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
We must read the sentence containing line 38 carefully. The line is part of the clause: "...her exclusion from the canon and virtual disappearance from literary history also helped raise issues concerning the current canon." The issue must be related to this statement.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
- The passage establishes a key fact about Griffith: she was "successful in the eighteenth century" with "continued productivity and favorable reviews."
- It then contrasts this success with her modern status: "her exclusion from the canon and virtual disappearance."
- The natural "issue" or question that arises from this contrast is: Why did this happen? Why would a successful and popular writer, who was also a woman, be forgotten and left out of the list of great authors?
- Option (A) frames this question perfectly.
- Options (B), (C), and (E) are questions about Griffith's work and reception, but they don't directly address the central mystery of her exclusion from the modern canon.
- Option (D) refers to the anecdote in the last paragraph, which is separate from the "issues concerning the current canon" mentioned in the third paragraph.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The most prominent issue raised by Griffith's career is the question of why a writer who was successful in her own time was subsequently excluded from the literary canon.