It may seem surprising that no confederate sympathizers took action against van lew, given her strong and public views on secession and slavery. surely there were suspicions, especially among her upper-crust neighbors, but the matter never went beyond those suspicions. historians have suggested that the secessionists were victims of their own cultural bias, believing that no aristocratic person, and certainly not a lady, would ever consider taking part in anything as impolite as spying. a true lady managed her servants, prepared parties and gatherings, and blindly supported her husband. such attitudes worked in van lew's favor, diverting suspicion from her.

—the dark game,
paul janeczko

based on your reading beyond this paragraph, what is an overall central idea that the author develops in the dark game?
a) van lew’s actions of espionage were possible only because she was a woman.
b) van lew’s deviant behavior was not the norm for aristocratic people.
c) van lew’s heroism lies in that she openly spoke about her views of secession and slavery.
d) van lew’s actions revolutionized the expectation and role of women in society.