Read the excerpt from chapter 17 of the awakening. [mrs. pontellier] was somewhat familiar with such scenes. they had often made her very unhappy. on a few previous occasions she had been completely deprived of any desire to finish her dinner. sometimes she had gone into the kitchen to administer a tardy rebuke to the cook. once she went to her room and studied the cookbook during an entire evening, finally writing out a menu for the week, which left her harassed with a feeling that, after all, she had accomplished no good that was worth the name. the excerpt best demonstrates which emerging theme?

a. women can feel a great deal of pressure to conform to society’s expectations of female duties.

b. women who have the assistance of a cook are still responsible for the outcome of the food preparations.

c. women can only be happy if they perceive themselves as successful at fulfilling their domestic duties.

d. women who are expected to perform specific domestic duties should have access to reliable resources.