Explore the central idea of Jackson Murphy's article on the origins of summer vacation, highlighting how capitalist forces made leisure accessible to more people in the 20th century.
The central idea of the article is best captured by option A: Summer vacation culture was created when leisure became profitable and accessible to more people.
The article traces the evolution of summer vacation from a seasoning simply marked by hot weather to a cultural phenomenon tied to capitalist growth and social changes, particularly in the 20th century. Initially exclusive to the wealthy, summer vacations gradually became accessible to the middle and working classes due to labor reforms, urban planning, and the rise of tourism and advertising.
While options B, C, and D touch on aspects discussed — such as low-paid workers not benefiting fully (B), and advertisers promoting summer leisure (D) — they do not capture the main thesis. The article emphasizes the democratization of leisure through economic and social forces, rather than summer vacation being invented solely for profit or because of weather conditions.