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 jessamynlockard
  • Posts: 42
  • Joined: Jan 15, 2018
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#45624
Hi,
I'm having trouble understanding why the answer is E rather than A.
 James Finch
PowerScore Staff
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  • Joined: Sep 06, 2017
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#45645
Hi Jessamyn,

The correct answer choice is in fact (A). Were you wondering why (A) was correct and not (E)? If so, the elements of retained, but not nostalgic heritage and the creation of a new multicultural identity present in (A) are supported by the passage, especially paragraphs 2 and 3. (E), on the other hand, describes Lum's poetry as "unsuccessful," which should be a dead giveaway that it is not the right answer in a diversity passage; while there may be mild criticism of the subject or their work, diversity passages are always generally positive in tone.

Hope this clears things up!
 heartofsunshine
  • Posts: 34
  • Joined: Jun 13, 2019
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#67253
Hi there! I'm hoping you can clarify why C is wrong. I was between C and A and they have many similarities. Perhaps C is not a broad enough scope? Thanks!
 Jeremy Press
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#67285
Hi heartofsunshine,

There are a couple problems with answer choice C:

First, it's not quite correct to say that Lum generally "rejects the popular literary traditions of Hawaiian writers." Notice in the first paragraph (which describes some of those traditions), the author acknowledges that Lum "does explore themes of family, identity, history, and literary tradition," which indicates that Lum has taken something from other Hawaiian writers.

Second, answer choice C misses a key element of the passage that the author highlights already in paragraph 1: it's not just that Lum is (in a negative sense) "rejecting" what came before him. Lum is also (in a positive sense) "attempting to discover and retain a local sensibility." For the author, that "local sensibility" (i.e., the importance of Hawaii itself) is an important positive contribution of Lum's writing, as you can see in (for example) lines 23, 27-29, 34-35, 43, and 46. Thus, answer choice C doesn't fully capture the main point, whereas answer choice A includes that positive reference to the "search for a new local identity."

I hope this helps!

Jeremy
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 LSAT4Life
  • Posts: 17
  • Joined: Aug 10, 2021
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#89926
Hi, I have a couple of questions.

For one, is (B) incorrect because it's only mentions one aspect that the passage touches on and therefore cannot be the main point? Since AC (B) mentions "in part," I think it's a giveaway that AC (B) is a wrong answer.

Additionally, I didn't initially pick (A) because of the mention of a "search for a new local entity." The end of passage talk about how the experience is "different" but I didn't think it necessarily meant a search for new identify. Can you point me to parts of the passage where "a new identify" is stated or strong implied?
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 Beatrice Brown
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#89958
Hi LSAT4Life! Thanks for your great questions, and happy to help :)

Answer choice (B) is actually incorrect for a different reason. Answer choice (B) contends that Lum's poetry expresses a conflict between two things: 1) a desire to participate in a community with shared values/traditions; and 2) "a desire for individual success." Lum's poetry does express a conflct between "heritage and local culture" (as explained in the last paragraph of the passage), but "desire for individual success" is actually discussed as an attribute of US culture in the last paragraph of the passage. Although Lum considers the conflict between his heritage and local culture in his poetry and this desire for individual success is part of his local culture, this would be an indirect connection between the passage's main point and the main point as described in answer choice (B). For a main point question, we want direct support from the passage when we select the correct answer choice. This more tenuous connection leads answer choice (B) to be incorrect.

I do want to point out, though, that a frequent type of incorrect answer choice for main point questions is one that mentions an aspect of the passage but is too narrow in scope to capture the main point, as you mentioned in your question. So great job being on the lookout for this type of incorrect answer choice!

Let's turn to why answer choice (A) is the correct answer choice. The beginning of the first paragraph of the passage explains that Asian American poetry from Hawaii usually falls into two categories: 1) poetry that portrays a "model multicultural paradise," or 2) poetry that exemplifies traditional Asian American literary themes. The author then goes on to state that Lum's poetry is unique because it "demands to be understood on its own terms." The rest of the passage goes on to characterize Lum's poetry, discussing in the second and third paragraphs how he portrays the conflict between his heritage and local culture.

The first thing we want to look for in a correct answer choice is that it characterizes the fact that the author is trying to show why Lum's poetry is unique. Answer choice (A) does so, whereas answer choice (B) does not. Answer choice (A) also correctly describes what makes his poetry unique.

In terms of the phrase "search for a new local identity," several lines in the second and third paragraphs support this assertion. In the second paragraph, for example, the author discusses how the speaker in one of Lum's poems realizes the need for a "new identity" that is "sensitive to its new environment." This assertion is also supported by the first line of the third paragraph ("complex relationships between heritage and local culture in determining one's identity") and the last line of the third paragraph ("in ways that allow for a healthy new sense of identity to be formed").

I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!

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