According to the selection from "The Worms of the Earth Against the Lions, which of the following factors most convinced the peasants that the time was ripe to demand social reform ?
A. A rise in literacy had begun, encouraging peasants to think for themselves.
B. The entire system of authority had proven itself to be weak, incompetent, and untrustworthy.
C. A series of bills passed in parliament led the peasants to think that a new era of freedom had arrived.
D. The French peasants had recently provided an example of successful rebellion against an oppressive government.