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?
a. it illustrates the lingering notion that women are men’s possessions, not their equals.
b. it illustrates the lingering notion that women should wear dresses to express their femininity.
c. it illustrates the prevailing belief that women are insightful students of literature and poetry.
d. it illustrates the prevailing belief that unmarried men and women should not be seen together.