Question

use the passage to answer the question. the article “in these days of scrolling and outrage, have we lost our ability to discuss art?” by sam byers addresses the public’s response to maggi hambling’s sculpture for early feminist mary wollstonecraft, which is a naked “everywoman” on top of a hilly column of silver. the online responses were mostly critical. how does the connotation for the word fertile contribute to the author’s point of view? (1 point) the positive connotation reinforces the author’s view that the sculpture represents mary wollstonecraft better than any other depiction of the early feminist. the negative connotation highlights the author’s view that the online response should be negative in nature. the positive connotation contributes to the author’s point of view that we should embrace the abundant responses to art. the negative connotation supports the author’s view that the public should not respond to artwork in an order to not become a breeding conflict.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the passage and options:

1. First, recall the passage’s context: It discusses art (Maggi Hambling’s sculpture) and public response, with the author’s view on embracing “stress - tested and freshly resplendent” (from “not destroyed, or—much like Hambling’s nude atop her mountain of frothing, fertile matter—stress - tested and freshly resplendent, polished not by reverence, but by the productive friction of a necessarily troubled emergence”).

1. Analyze each option:

• Option 1: Talks about sculpture representing Mary Wollstonecraft better than others. The passage doesn’t compare the sculpture to other depictions, so eliminate.
• Option 2: Says negative connotation of “fertile” shows the author wants a negative response. But the passage uses “fertile matter” positively (as part of “productive friction” and “emergence”), so this is wrong.
• Option 3: Positive connotation of “fertile” (as part of the productive, emergent process) supports the author’s view that we should embrace abundant responses to art. This matches the passage’s idea of accepting the “chaos of response” and art’s role in emergence.
• Option 4: Says negative connotation supports not responding to avoid conflict. The passage advocates engaging with the “productive friction” of responses, so this is wrong.

Answer:

The positive connotation contributes to the author’s point of view that we should embrace the abundant responses to art. (Corresponding to the option: "The positive connotation contributes to the author’s point of view that we should embrace the abundant responses to art.")