What is the evidence for fiction writing as an effective tool?

Hello @mayapierce, Take a look at line 43: "In both her fiction and her social theory she urges women to further social evolution by collectively working toward the reorganization of here society." Gilman used her fiction to spark real-life social change. This is the support that we need to choose B. I didn't find evidence of combative personality traits in the passage.

in the last paragraph it states that "Gilman believed that at one time such arrangements had been necessary for evolution because what she felt were male traits of assertiveness, *combat*, and display were essential or the development of a complex society". I see what you mean by fiction (although I guess it's a little confusing for me to assume that just because she wrote fiction she saw fiction writing as a tool for social progress) but I don't understand how E is wrong (or I guess that B is more right than E since they both seem a bit shaky)

Just want to update that I think I understand this now in case it helps anyone! While Gilman does say that combat is necessary for PAST social progress, B is a better answer because we know she says fiction writing can lead to "further social evolution" which is more synonymous with social progress. So E might have been right if the question had asked what has previously attributed to society and/or didn't mention "progress" specifically. Hope that helps someone, @LSATMax let me know if this is not correct.

I made the same mistake and thought through pretty much the same logic afterword^

I think that's exactly right, the author seems to suggest G saw combative traits in an unfavorable light.