#8 - Specific Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[ellenb]

Dear Powerscore,

For this passage I got most of them right except question #8, please let me know, why E is wrong and why C is the right answer?

Thanks

Ellen

[Jacques Lamothe]

Hi Ellen,

Nice work getting most of the questions right on this passage! For question 8, the trick is to select the quotation that best exemplifies the "familiar" attitude from lines 5-10. In the passage, that view is described as "enjoyable novels are held to be somehow slightly lowbrow, and a novel is not considered true literature unless it is a tiny bit dull."

That view claims that a work MUST be boring (somewhat) to be true literature. Answer choice (E) ends up being incorrect because it claims that a novel can be true literature as long as it satisfies the requirements of its particular genre. Someone with the familiar attitude expressed in lines 5-10 would say say that a novel meeting the requirements of its genre would still not be true literature unless it was a little dull.

(C) seems to be the most consistent with the familiar view. The quotation's claim that great literature should not divert the reader is very close to the line in the passage that says enjoyable novels are lowbrow and the quotation's claim that great literature should de demanding fits with the passage line that true literature should be dull. If a work of fiction is too interesting, the reader does not have to work hard to get through it.

I hope that helps!

Jacques

[reop6780]

The correct answer is C while I chose B.

I thought this question was referring to the statement in the passage of "lowbrow" vs "a tiny bit dull."

Hence, I chose answer B whose preference is to read a highly humorous tales which I personally figured to be close to lowbrow novels.

I don't understand where "readers" come and play as the correct answer.

How am I supposed to figure this out? (where in the passage?)

[KelseyWoods]

Hi reop6780!

This question is of course referring to the statement in lines 5-9. That statement sets up the familiar "false opposition" that enjoyable novels = lowbrow and true literature = a bit dull. For an answer choice to exemplify this attitude, we need it to describe an enjoyable novel as lowbrow or an example of true literature as a bit dull.

Answer choice (B) goes against this familiar attitude because it gives an example of great literature that is highly humorous. This would be enjoyable novel = true literature which is counter to the relationships provided by the familiar attitude.

Answer choice (C), on the other hand, exemplifies the familiar attitude because it says that true literature should place demands on the reader (being a bit dull would place demands on a reader) rather than divert them (which is what enjoyable novels do). Thus, answer choice (C) provides us with the true literature = a bit dull relationship.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[Blueballoon5%]

Hello! I do not understand the correct answer to this question (C).

If possible, could you explain to me why A, B, and D is wrong.

Thank you!!

[Clay Cooper]

Hi BlueBalloon,

Thanks for your question. This is a tough one.

Answer choice C is correct because it refers to the idea - against which the author of this passage is advocating - that a work of literature can be entertaining or great but not both. This dichotomy seems, based on the author's attitude toward it, to be well-entrenched among literary critics, even though it has little merit. The fact that it is so widespread, though, is what leads the author to call it "familiar" and "false" in line 6.

Answer choice A is incorrect because nowhere in the passage does the author discuss a definition of "great works of literature" that is based upon their fantasy or whimsy; the attitude described as "familiar," then, can't mean such an attitude.

Answer choice B is incorrect because the familiar attitude to which the author is referring holds that literature cannot be both great and entertaining, as the collection of tales mentioned in B is described.

Finally, answer choice D is incorrect because the author is not basing his or her evaluation of the works greatness on the number of people who have read but instead on other factors, like "strikingly good writing" and "convincing character descriptions."

Does that help to clarify the reference?

[avengingangel]

I was looking for something that described the "familiar, false opposition," thus, was anticipating an answer choice that included both of the perspectives (enjoyable novels and true literature). C doesn't really make sense. I feel that's such a stretch to say non-dull novels 'divert' the reader.. same with a dull novel 'placing demand upon it's readers'.. like.. what?? I mean, I see where they're going/what they're doing.. but that's such a silly way to describe that, in my opinion. I guess this is just another example of how the LSAT writers and I define/understand words differently... as always, glad I am encountering it now, before I take the test...

Also, I think there's a typo in Kelsey's response in that the (A) and (B) in the last paragraph are both supposed to be (C).

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, avenging,

It appears you are correct that Kelsey meant to write (C) for both A and B in her last paragraph.

Check out what you wrote. You refer to the "familiar, false opposition" but the question refers specifically to the "familiar attitude." The "false opposition" is a characteristic of this familiar attitude. You need to describe what this false opposition means. Consider both sides. On the one hand, highbrow literature should be dull, and on the other hand enjoyable novels are lowbrow. Look for an answer that describes popular novels as trash or look for an answer that describes literature as boring, preferably both to "exemplify" the "familiar attitude."

Answer choice C actually has it all. You get the great work of literature placing demands on the readers (boring) instead of "diverting" (amusing) them. Does this explanation clarify this question for you?

Based on this passage, I don't think I'll ever read a P.D. James novel. Sounds way too diverting.

[TheKingLives]

I chose option D as I considered the first-half of this answer to more or less be what the familiar attitude was arguing (enjoyable novels are held to be somehow slightly lowbrow, i.e. uncultured, thus making sense for critics to evaluate it with condescension) and the second half insinuating that the person making the statement agrees with the critics, which is why he/she is declining to offer a negative evaluation. Overall, D can be interpreted to agree with the familiar attitude.

For C, I could not make the connection that "demands" refers to dullness. I feel demands can be disturbing content in a novel or convoluted language, two aspects that are anything but dull. Regardless, I can see now that demands can refer to dullness (i.e. this is so boring that it's a chore to sit through) but could you explain why D is incorrect? Thank you!