In the first sentence of the third paragraph, the author describes needlework as "seemingly peculiarly adapted to the powers and
tastes of women primarily to A) signal the limitations of a cliché she plans to undermine
B)admit that trades do attract people of different capabilities
C)express uncertainty about what motivates women to choose certain jobs
D) imply that most women would prefer jobs traditionally reserved for men
offer examples of gender differences in the workplace
signal the limitations of a cliché she plans to undermine
Explanation:
The author uses the phrase “seemingly peculiarly adapted” to signal the limitations of the widely held notion that women have an innate aptitude for needlework. In the sentence that immediately follows ("Yet surely it is not . . . embrace it"), she undermines the idea by archly implying that, contrary to clichéd assumptions, many men enjoy and excel at needlework—they engage in it voluntarily, not because they are compelled to do so. The author engages with this claim about women and needlework because it appears to be self-evident; by pointing out that “men can do it, and do it well,” the author calls into question the notion that women are specially adapted to needlework, further supporting her thesis that intellect is not determined by gender.
In the book titled "In Nature's Name: An Anthology of of Women's Writing and Illustration , 1780-1930" the author Barbara T. Gates compiles the lost works of women who wrote from being inspired by the nature.
From the late eighteenth century to early twentieth century, British women wrote about the nature.
By calling the needlework as "seemingly peculiarly adapted to powers and tastes of women" primarily meant to signal the limitations of a cliche she plans to undermine. Therefore, option A is correct.
