Question

The first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature was:

• A. Toni Morrison
• B. Selma Lagerlöf
• C. Pearl S. Buck
• D. Grazia Deledda

Hint:

Memorize key "firsts" for major literary awards. For the Nobel Prize in Literature, knowing the first recipient (Sully Prudhomme, 1901), the first woman (Selma Lagerlöf, 1909), and the first non-European (Rabindranath Tagore, 1913) can be very helpful.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests historical knowledge of the Nobel Prize in Literature, specifically focusing on the first female recipient.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's examine the timeline for when these authors received the Nobel Prize:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{Selma Lagerlöf (from Sweden) was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, receiving the award in 1909. [8, 9, 10, 12, 13] } \\ \bullet & \text{Grazia Deledda (from Italy) won the prize in 1926. } \\ \bullet & \text{Pearl S. Buck (from the United States) won in 1938. } \\ \bullet & \text{Toni Morrison (from the United States) won in 1993. } \\ \end{array}\] Since Selma Lagerlöf received the award in 1909, she was the first woman to be so honored.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct answer is Selma Lagerlöf, which is option (B).