The street lights are shining brightly at my window. is the word in bold acting as a participle or a verb? a. participle b. verb

Ead this excerpt from the introduction to wheels of change by sue macy. imagine a population imprisoned by their very clothing; the stiff corsets, heavy skirts, and voluminous petticoats that made it difficult to take a deep breath, let alone exercise. add to that the laws and social conventions that cemented a man's place as head of the household and holder of the purse strings. how suffocated women must have felt. and how liberated they must have been as they pedaled their wheels toward new horizons. why does the author include this excerpt?

You've arrived at the cafeteria! there is a trap door in the pantry which has been covered up by an atlas. choose the square which shows greenland to open the door.

How does the literature of this period influence future generations of american literature? where have you seen traces of these themes and how were they presented in the other literature you read?