#15- Main Point

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14304)

The correct answer choice is (E)

The answer to this question is prephrased in the VIEWSTAMP analysis above.

Answer choice (A): While the author regards Jazz as a significant artistic achievement, there is no
evidence that it is the first African American work whose plot, themes and setting are all drawn from
the world of jazz. Many African American writers have used music as theme and metaphor in their
writing (lines 10-12). Furthermore, the main point of the passage has more to do with Morrison’s
narrative strategy, not its thematic elements or setting.

Answer choice (B): Hopefully you were able to eliminate this answer choice relatively quickly,
as it suggests a profound misunderstanding of the passage. The musical ensemble performance
containing solo improvisations is how the author describes Ellington’s style of composition; it is not
a description in Toni Morrison’s novel. In fact, we are never told what she describes in Jazz.

Answer choice (C): This is a classic half-right, half-wrong answer choice. Morrison’s novel is unique
and innovative not because it uses jazz as a metaphor, but because it draws upon jazz as a structuring
principle for its style of narration.

Answer choice (D): The passage presents no evidence that Morrison relied on the works of other
African American writers, nor that she developed a jazzlike style of narration over the years. The
evolution of Morrison’s literary style is never discussed.

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. The author alludes to the unique narrative
strategy of Jazz in the first two paragraphs, and argues that it is a “literary rendering” of Duke
Ellington’s art of composition at the end of the third paragraph (lines 44-48).

[mpoulson]

Hello,

I wanted to determine what made the answer E and not A. I didn't gather that Jazz was written as a literary analogue of Duke Ellington. I only found that it mirrored many elements contained in Ellington's work. For that reason, I wanted to know if you could direct me to specific passages or phrases that indicate this. My guess would be lines 45-48. Additionally, if you could explain why A is wrong that would be useful. The only thing I can imagine is that it doesn't engage the sections about Duke Ellington. However, if one thinks the focus of the passage is about the work Jazz by TM then would it be necessary to mention the duke?

- Micah

[Adam Tyson]

Good question, Micah. What's wrong with A, in my opinion, is that it misses the most important aspect of the passage, and that is that Morrison's novel is actually structured like a jazz composition. It's not enough that answer A talks about plot, themes and setting - the most important element of the passage is that it tells us how she composed the novel to mirror what happens in a jazz composition, flowing back and forth between the composer/author's overall narrative and the way the characters get to have their own voice in the same way a jazz musician might have the opportunity to break out in an improvisational solo within that narrative.

The comparison to Duke Ellington is pretty important in this passage, taking up most of the last third of the passage. As to the term "literary analogue", consider this quote from around line 46 in the passage: "a literary rendering of an art of composition that Duke Ellington perfected around the time in which Jazz is set." Sounds a lot like a literary analogue to me!

I hope that helps. Best of luck in your continued studies.

[ltoulme]

Hi PowerScore,

Could you please help me understand what's wrong with choice (C)? Is it because "central metaphor" is different than "structuring principle" (line 13)?

Thanks very much as always!

Laura

[Adam Tyson]

Hey again Itoulme! I'll say yes to that - "central metaphor" isn't quite far enough to describe what Morrison did. More than that, though, is that this answer, even if it said something like "structuring principle", doesn't capture the main point of the passage overall because it is not comprehensive enough. It's not just that the novel was unique and innovative, but that it is analogous to what Duke Ellington did. That analogy is so central to the last paragraph that leaving out any mention of it kills this answer for being incomplete.

Thankfully, we don't have to even get to that issue, though, for the reason you mentioned. Good job, well done!

[ltoulme]

Awesome - thank you!

[99bengardner@gmail.com]

Hi, I was also between (A) and (E) and agree that "plot, themes, and setting" in (A) is not as strong as "musical genre as the structuring principle" in the stimulus.

But in (E), "In Jazz, Morrison has succeeded in creating an original and effective narrative strategy that is a literary analogue of Duke Ellington's style of musical composition", the Main Point is not just the passive "Jazz can be considered a literary analogue of Ellington" but an active "Morrison succeeded in creating a strategy that is a literary analogue of Ellington." I felt this active phrasing was too strong in its implication of intent to analogize Ellington. Were (E) "In Jazz, Morrison has succeeded in creating an original and effective narrative strategy; that strategy is a literary analogue of Duke Ellington's style of musical composition" I would have felt it to be stronger than (A).

How can this be avoided in later questions?

[Dana D]

Hey 99ben,

There's two things to take away here. First, answer choice (A) completely omits any mention of Duke Ellington, which makes it a weak contender. This is a main point question, and the author spent an entire paragraph drawing a parallel between Morrison and Ellington - that shouldn't be omitted. Even if the answer choice doesn't mention Duke outright, there is a reason the author was discussing his work for an entire paragraph, and that needs to be considered.

Second, I think the language of answer choice (E) does match the enthusiasm and emphasis of the author regarding Morrison/Ellington's works. The author spent an entire paragraph analogizing Morrison to Ellington, and emphatically sings Morrison's praises throughout the passage, so I don't think the language here is too strong at all. But again, the better indicator between answer choices (A) and (E) is that (A) is not comprehensive enough to capture the main point. If you're between two answer choices on a MP question like this, look at the passage hollistically and see how the author spends their time and what the purpose of each paragraph is - here, that should help you see that answer choice (A) is not inclusive enough to be correct.

Hope that helps!