Question

“nearly any hour on the east side of new york city you can see them—pallid boy or spindling girl—their faces dulled, their backs bent under a heavy load of garments piled on head and shoulders.” - edwin markham, 1907
a. he is trying to piece together an artful description of the children who work in the factories.
b. he is describing a typical industrial street scene and bringing attention to child labor.
c. he is praising the fact that employing children increases the work force for factory efficiency.
d. he is condemning child labor and vowing to devote his future efforts to improving work conditions.

Explanation:

The description of children as "pallid", with "faces dulled" and "backs bent under a heavy load of garments" portrays a negative and harsh - working condition for children. This is a condemnation of child labor. There is no indication of praise or just an artful description without a purpose. Also, there is no mention of vowing to improve work conditions in the given text. But the overall tone and description suggest condemnation of child labor.

Answer:

B. He is describing a typical industrial street scene and bringing attention to child labor.