County attorney (with the gallantry of a young politician).
which best describes the effect of the word "gallantry" in this excerpt?
it creates the setting by hinting at a period in time when men were more inclined to treat women with respect
it develops the conflict by creating tension as the other men in the story realize the county attorney actually sympathizes
with women
it enhances the theme of the story by showing that some men are capable of treating women with respect, even if it does
not seem so
it characterizes the county attorney as someone desirous of showing respect to women, even if he does not mean it

The correct answer is D. It characterizes the County Attorney as someone desirous of showing respect to women, even if he does not mean it.

Explanation:

The question refers to Glaspell's 'A Jury of Her Peers,' in which a woman kills her husband because of her unhappiness with the marriage. Namely, the woman felt trapped, helpless, cornered in this marriage even though the husband didn't physically or mentally abuse her. She felt as though her freedom was taken from her and it all culminated in her killing him, even though he was supposedly a good man.

The police comes to investigate the scene, along with the County Attorney and several neighbors. These neighbors, namely women, understand the motives behind the murder and are actually the ones to solve it whereas the men don't want to take them seriously. The County Attorney shows 'the gallantry of a young politician,' meaning that he pretends to respect what the women are trying to say, even though he doesn't really respect them. Politicians are stereotypically known to lie and hide their true thoughts, which is why the term is used here.

D It characterizes the County Attorney as someone desirous of showing respect to women, even if he does not mean it.

Explanation:

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