Question

read the excerpt from a genetics of justice by julia alvarez. when the novel came out, i decided to go ahead and risk her anger. i inscribed a copy to both mami and papi with a note: “thank you for having instilled in me through your sufferings a desire for freedom and justice.” i mailed the package and—what i seldom do except in those moments when i need all the help i can get—i made the sign of the cross as i exited the post office. days later, my mother called me up to tell me she had just finished the novel. “you put me back in those days. it was like i was reliving it all,” she said sobbing. “i don’t care what happens to us! i’m so proud of you for writing this book.” i stood in my kitchen in vermont, stunned, relishing her praise and listening to her cry. it was one of the few times since i had learned to talk that i did not try to answer my mother back. if there is such a thing as how does the author develop the central idea across these paragraphs? alvarez describes how writing the novel brought her and her mother closer together. alvarez realizes that, through her writing, she has finally won her mothers respect. alvarez explains how her mothers reaction to her novel provoked a rare moment of peace between them. alvarez explains how she knew that her mother would appreciate the novel she wrote.

Explanation:

The excerpt shows Alvarez sending her parents a copy of her novel with a note about the values they instilled in her. Her mother's positive reaction, expressing pride and reliving past experiences, indicates a rare moment of peace between them. This is the main way the central idea is developed.

Answer:

Alvarez explains how her mother's reaction to her novel provoked a rare moment of peace between them.