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 mined the passages and—what i seldom do except in those moments when i need the help i can get—i prayed. i mailed the package and exited the post office. days later, the sign of the cross i alluded to earlier came. 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 dont care what happens to us! im 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 genetic justice that courses through the generations and finally manifests itself full-blown in a family moment, there it was.
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 provided a rare moment of peace between them.
○ alvarez explains how she knew that her mother would appreciate the novel she wrote.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The excerpt doesn't focus on how writing the novel brought her and her mother closer. It's about her mother's reaction to the novel, not the process of writing bringing them closer. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The text shows her mother's pride in her writing, but there's no indication that she "finally won her mother's respect" as if it was previously lacking. The mother's reaction is pride, not a newfound respect. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The author explains her mother's reaction to the novel (crying, saying she's proud) and how this was a rare moment of peace (since she didn't talk back, and it was a full - blown family moment of connection). This matches the development of the central idea about the mother's reaction and the resulting moment of peace.
• Option D: The author didn't know her mother would appreciate the novel. The mother's positive reaction was a surprise (she seldom excepts packages and the mother's reaction was emotional and positive). Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. Alvarez explains how her mother’s reaction to her novel provided a rare moment of peace between them.