Read the excerpt from "Violets, by Alice Dunbar-Nelson. The tube-roses and orange-blossoms I wore Friday night; you always wished for a lock of my hair, so I'll tie
these flowers with them—but there, it is not stable enough; let me wrap them with a bit of ribbon, pale blue,
from that little dress I wore last winter to the dance, when we had such a long, sweet talk in that forgotten
nook. You always loved that dress, it fell in such soft ruffles away from the throat and bosom, you called me
your little forget-me-not, that night. I laid the flowers away for awhile in our favorite book,-Byron-just at the
poem we loved best, and now I send them to you.
How does the excerpt reflect its social and historical context?
O It illustrates the lingering notion that women are men's possessions, not their equals.
O It illustrates the lingering notion that women should wear dresses to express their femininity.
It illustrates the prevailing belief that women are insightful students of literature and poetry.
O It illustrates the prevailing belief that unmarried men and women should not be seen together.
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