Read the passage from "The Lottery." The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times. Bobby Martin ducked under his mother’s grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones. His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby came quickly and took his place between his father and his oldest brother.

What does the depiction of the women as wearing faded clothes and exchanging gossip most likely represent?

a. Women like to be in control.
b. Women are always respected by others.
c. Women have diminished roles in society.
d. Women care only about winning.