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Difficulty: HardAuthor's Purpose and Point of View

Read the following English translation of an excerpt from 'Las medias rojas' ('The Red Stockings') by the Spanish writer Emilia Pardo Bazán:

When Ildara entered, she threw the bundle of firewood she had gathered on the ground and began to prepare the fire. Her father, Uncle Clodio, did not look up; he was busy carving a toothpick with his pocketknife, his face expressionless. Ildara, squatting by the hearth, blew on the kindling. As the flame rose, it illuminated her young face and cast a light on something she was wearing—something she had hidden under her worn, torn skirt until then: a pair of bright red stockings. The father’s eyes suddenly shifted and fixed on her legs with a cold, piercing intensity. 'Where did you get those?' he asked, his voice low but thick with anger. Ildara, trembling slightly but trying to maintain her composure, replied that she had bought them with money she saved from selling eggs. But Clodio knew otherwise; he knew that such luxury was impossible on their meager earnings. His gaze did not soften. For him, those red stockings were a symbol of defiance, of a desire to escape the misery of their rural life, and a sign that she was preparing to leave him. Without another word, he stood up, his face darkened by fury, and began to strike her violently, aiming for her face.

Based on this passage, which of the following best describes the author's primary purpose in depicting the father's violent reaction to Ildara's red stockings?

  1. A
    To suggest that the father's violence is a protective instinct intended to shield his daughter from the hazards of emigration.
  2. To critique the oppressive patriarchal authority and limited socio-economic mobility that violently crush a young woman's aspirations for independence.Answer
  3. C
    To provide an objective, neutral report of nineteenth-century agricultural labor and economic conditions without taking a critical stance.
  4. D
    To imply that Ildara's purchase is a frivolous waste of the family's hard-earned agricultural income that justifies her father's anger.

Answer

To critique the oppressive patriarchal authority and limited socio-economic mobility that violently crush a young woman's aspirations for independence.
The correct answer is correct because the passage depicts the crushing of Ildara's hope of escaping poverty. By showing the father's extreme violence in response to her red stockings, the author critiques the rigid patriarchal control and socio-economic trap that rural women of that era faced, which is a central theme of Emilia Pardo Bazán's naturalistic writing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the symbolic meaning of the red stockings in the passage.
The red stockings symbolize Ildara's desire for beauty, change, and escape from her miserable rural life through emigration.
Understanding the symbolism of the stockings is necessary to decode the underlying conflict between the characters.
2
Examine the father's reaction and his motives.
The father sees the stockings as a sign of rebellion and an indication that she plans to leave, which threatens his control over her domestic labor.
This establishes the power dynamic and the nature of the patriarchal control he exerts.
3
Determine the authorial perspective and tone.
The author, writing in the naturalistic style, depicts the violence critically to expose how patriarchal authority and poverty trap women in a cycle of abuse.
Connecting the narrative details to the author's broader thematic goals reveals the primary purpose of the text.

Key Concept

Author's Purpose and Point of View
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Author's Purpose and Point of View

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