Passage - General Questions

[TigerJin]

I hope it's not too much to ask for a viewstamp analysis of this passage. I got three wrong and would like to make sure I understood it.

Viewpoints: I only see the Author's view here.

Structure: Paragraph1: Introduce Eileen Gray with a bit of a bio of her and sets out the topic of the passage, by saying that she moved from small objects and introduces lacquer. Paragraph 2: Paragraph 2 describes Gray's work and how her lacquer work helped define her aesthetics. Paragraph 3: tells us about her architectural work, the large object part of her work.

Tone: Is extremely impressed with Eileen Gray.

Argument: The argumentation is showing how Gray's work with lacquer influenced her work with ever larger objects.

Main Point: Even as Gray moved from working with small objects, to large she was attentive to the hidden details.


Is this all good?

[Jonathan Evans]

TigerJin,

Your analysis largely appears accurate with the exception of the Main Point. The Main Point should synthesize the entire passage. The Main Point will cover the passage from beginning through the end. It will incorporate the Tone of the passage, the Viewpoint and Arguments of the author, and the Structure of the passage.

I often encourage students to ask themselves a series of three questions to derive the Main Point:

1. What is the topic of the passage?
2. What aspects of this topic does the passage discuss? (i.e. What is the scope of the passage?)
3. What is the author's opinion and viewpoint about this topic?

For this passage, you could answer these questions as follows:

1. Eileen Gray
2. The passage talks about her career as an artist, how she worked in many areas of design, specializing in lacquer.
3. The author extols Gray's artistic achievements, discussing how her work work in lacquer informed her approach to design and architecture, in which she emphasized utility and collapsed distinctions between different spaces.

This process need not be perfect. Essentially, you need to remember to address all the aspects of the passage when prephrasing the Main Point.

[TigerJin]

So, are you saying that prephrasing the "Main Point" does not always need to be so specific?

[David Boyle]

So, are you saying that prephrasing the "Main Point" does not always need to be so specific?

Hello Tiger Jin,

I think Jonathan's valuable observations may go in that direction, though he might have other commentary to add as well. Your idea, "Main Point: Even as Gray moved from working with small objects, to large she was attentive to the hidden details", may be too specific, as you seem to say. The various elements that Jonathan lists may be part of the Main Point, since, as he sort of implied, a Main Point can resemble a "laundry list", i.e., it should tick off a lot of boxes of what the passage says on various axes. "Main Point: Even as Gray moved from working with small objects, to large she was attentive to the hidden details" is not bad, but it may not hit all the points that a Main Point answer ideally should.

Hope this helps,
David

[lathlee]

Couple Ponts:

1. Oct 2008, P #3: Chinese Talk-story, this RC's difficulty and feel reminds me of that I posted in left, the last one of 10 hardest RC ever in the Powerscore list. Am I crazy?

2. Isn't line 41-45 ... isn't this view of Eileen Gray.

3. I also had a difficulty of phrasing the MP, is the following acceptable: " Various works by E. Gray, working with small objects to large objects, she was attentive to the hidden details. Her work as an architect, had resemblances to her performance as the lacquer, often accomplished from the inside out."

4. what hell does author mean in line 13-17: "The tradition of lacquer fit well with her artistic sensibilities, as Gray eschewed the flowing left lines of the Art Nouveau movement that had flourished in Paris, preferring the austere beauty of straight lines and simple forms juxtapose."

BY Her adaption of Lacquer art, she could produce the style of ART NOUVEAU Movement in PARIS (Characteristic of the austere beauty of straight lines and simple forms juxtapose." ) which the style she rejects/ eschews?

also, what does it mean "preferring the austere beauty of straight lines and simple forms of juxtapose? " How can the austere beauty of straight lines and simple forms be juxtaposed, as in lying in the line for comparison?

[Adam Tyson]

I don't understand your first question, lathlee, but if you are asking if this is a particularly hard passage then I'd say yes, absolutely. This one is pretty universally noted as one of the toughest passages of the last few years (although Judicial Candor and Thinking About Thoughts give it a good run for the money).

Yes, lines 41-45, where we learn what Gray believed, is her viewpoint.

Your prephrase of Main Point looks pretty good!

Gray did not produce Art Nouveau, which had flowing, leafy lines, but eschewed it (which means deliberately avoided it) and instead did simple forms and straight lines. You appear to be mixing those two up some. She did not do X, but instead did Y, which was different.

It's the simple forms that she juxtaposed with each other, not the simple forms juxtaposed with the straight lines, as I read it. Think of it this way: She preferred the austere beauty of 1) straight lines and 2) simple forms juxtaposed.

Does that help?

[lathlee]

Huge help. thx

[Lourdiana]

Can anyone direct me to just a break down of this passage? Seems like I did the worst in this passage. Even now while reviewing, I am having trouble understanding why the answers were chosen for 16, 18, 21 and 22. Any point of reference would help.

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Can anyone direct me to just a break down of this passage? Seems like I did the worst in this passage. Even now while reviewing, I am having trouble understanding why the answers were chosen for 16, 18, 21 and 22. Any point of reference would help.

Hi Lourdiana,

Thanks for the post! I have moved your post to the thread discussing this passage. Please review the discussion above, and let us know if that helps, or if you still have further questions! Thanks!