When I was younger, Maryam, a girl who lived next door to me was rather affable. It was easy talking to her because she showed enthusiasm in everything I did. Maryam was three years older than me and had recently lost her elder sister, who died in a terrible car accident. The loss of her sister deeply affected Maryam, and her character transformed immensely. Previously being a vivacious girl, she was now lethargic, sitting at one place doing nothing. She procrastinated with everything. One day, I aspired her to try out something new instead of sitting around and doing nothing. This pushed a trigger in her memories, and she recalled her halcyon days of childhood. She laughed at the memory of her elder sister, whom everyone had loved because she was down-to-earth and not haughty.
The answer is the first one.
In "Writers often disavow the notion of a 'literary duty'" the author conveys a somewhat condescending attitude, as if they would always follow this and set aside anyone who said otherwise. This attitude says the author is looking down on them, and that the author believes that many authors do not meet their standards.
Another answer I would consider is "...writers ruined by their shrill commitments." However, there is no context or clear tone. The author could be mournful of the lost potential for all we know.
The viewpoint gathered from the passage is:
Sarah’s determination to hide with her brother rather than wait for the Germans is admirable.
Explanation:
Sarah begins the passage by wondering if the brother is going to sit there and let the Germans take him away and then says that surely she would not let that happen.
This is the line that sets up the passage for what is to be narrated for the whole passage which is her plans and her determination to save her brother from sure death in the German death camps.
It is her foresight that has allowed her to understand what is going to happen and she willingly takes steps to avoid it.
