There is not a multiple choice
That would be the weather; the harsh winters were brutal.
And what the weather didn't do, the many diseases certainly did.
No, it wasn't so much the native Americans -- like you were probably thinking.
Whether in poetry or prose, strong word choice can unlock images, emotions, and more in the reader, and the associations and connotations that words bring with them play a crucial role in this.
Margot wanted to be a teacher
Hester emerges from the prison holding a baby and makes her way to a scaffold where she is publicly condemned