Question

from a voice from the south
a stream cannot rise higher than its source. the atmosphere of homes is no rarer and purer and sweeter than are the mothers in those homes. a race is but a total of families. the nation is the aggregate of its homes. as the whole is sum of all its parts, so the character of the parts will determine the characteristics of the whole. these are all axioms and so evident that it seems gratuitous to remark it; and yet, unless i am greatly mistaken, most of the unsatisfaction from our past results arises from just such a radical and palpable error.
anna j. cooper, 1858 - 1964
(from a voice from the south by anna julia cooper)
what does the author mean by the character of the parts will determine the characteristics of the whole?

1. different pieces must add up perfectly to make something complete.
2. starting with a desired result helps inform what needs to be done first.
3. knowing where something comes from is the key to understanding it.
4. a final outcome will have similarities to the elements used to achieve it.

Explanation:

The passage emphasizes that as the whole is the sum of its parts, the characteristics of the parts (like mothers in homes, families in a race, homes in a nation) will shape the characteristics of the whole. This means the final outcome (the whole) will have similarities to the elements (the parts) used to achieve it.

Answer:

1. A final outcome will have similarities to the elements used to achieve it.