Reading Comprehension

PT23 · S4 · P2 · Q13 Medieval Women's Power

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Medievalists usually distinguished medieval public law from private law: the former was concerned with government and military affairs and the latter with the family, social status, and land transactions.

Topic

Relationship of medieval women to the law

Framework

Challenge a Position

Main Point

The distinction between public and private law is overly simplistic, because women were largely excluded from public roles but wielded a lot of political (public) power via their control of land (which was governed by private law).

Passage Map

Paragraph 1 Opens with the Position being challenged. (whenever we hear "X's usually say/think ____", the author will usually go against that point of view)

The 2nd sentence reveals the Author's Purpose. (yo, this position is overly simplistic)

The rest of the paragraph establishes the Author's Main Point. (woman had lots of political power via their control of land, which they acquired through a variety of legal means)

Paragraph 2

This paragraph just lists some of the legal means through which women got control of land. (partible inheritance, dower, jointure)

Paragrap 3

This paragraph comes back to reinforcing the power that women have. (widows > oldest son, women were landlords, widows could appear in court)

13.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

  1. explain a legal controversy of

    Out of Scope: controversy / modern

    There's no legal controversy. The fact that our author is thinking that medievalists are over simplifying the division between private/public law is not a legal controversy. And where in this passage did any modern legal theory get mentioned?

    4% picked this

  2. Correct

    evaluate the economic and legal

    Why this is right

    I don't love the verb evaluate, but the central topic was the relationship of medieval women to the law. The author does cover the economic and legal status of medieval women who were property owners. He tells us in the 1st paragraph that though they were barred from many public roles/jobs (economic status), they were still able to exert considerable power as land owners / landlords / feudal lords. The last couple sentences of the passage also emphasize the "widows' legal independence" and "the scope of their sway".

    Skill tested: Primary Purpose · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    86% picked this

  3. resolve a scholarly debate about

    Out of Scope: debate

    The author might be trying to provoke a debate by pushing back against the overly simplistic mindset most medievalists have about the distinction between public and private law in medieval times, but the author isn't describing a debate happening between medievalists and then trying to resolve it for them.

    4% picked this

  4. trace the historical origins of

    Out of Scope: modern economic situation

    This passage is entirely set in medieval times, and even more narrowly in 13th century England.

    3% picked this

  5. provide new evidence about a

    Out of Scope: new evidence

    There's nothing in the passage suggesting that anything the author is bringing up is new evidence.

    3% picked this

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