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- Sat Jul 01, 2017 12:00 pm
#36731
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14619)
The correct answer choice is (B)
The author states that reader-response theory provides numerous additional, beneficial insights into
understanding a literary text. To weaken that conclusion, the correct answer choice should show that
these insights are somehow harmful or detrimental to understanding a literary work.
Answer choice (A): In lines 44-45, the author writes that “many important works have received varying
interpretations throughout their existence” in order to support the claim that these interpretations can
help us better understand literature. Since this answer choice is a restatement of one of the author’s
premises, it does not weaken the author’s argument.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. This answer choice attacks one of the author’s
proposed advantages of reader-response theory. The author writes that reader-response theory provides
“legitimate additional insights and understandings” (lines 52-53) which are “useful in understanding
the works” (line 57). If these additional insights conflicted with or contradicted one another, or if they
diminished the understanding of a literary work, they would be less useful in understanding the works
and reader-response theory would be weakened.
Answer choice (C): Do not confuse criticisms of a theory with weaknesses in the author’s argument. A
Reading Comprehension author may defend a flawed theory very effectively or advocate a “flawless”
theory very poorly. Also, the most effective authors account for the weaknesses of their theories in their
argumentation. Test takers who are careful to distinguish between theory and argumentation will not be
fooled by incorrect answer choices.
The fact that reader-response theory fails to provide a unified view of the meaning of a work is a
legitimate criticism of the theory by formalists. However, it is not a weakness in the author’s argument
because the author does not claim that good theories should provide a unified view. Instead, he writes
that an effective method “enables the critic to discern and make use of the rich stock of meanings
created in encounters between texts and readers” (lines 37-40). According the author, the lack of unified
meaning is virtue of reader-response theory, not a weakness.
Answer choice (D): The vast majority of test takers recognize this statement as one of the key
characteristics of reader-response theory discussed in paragraph one. Confirming the author’s description
of reader-response theory does not weaken the author’s argumentation.
Answer choice (E): Like answer choice (C), this a criticism advanced by the proponents of formalism.
The author freely admits that many of the meanings are created “only when encountered by individual
readers” (lines 6-7), but the author views the creation of additional meanings as a positive consequence
of reader-response theory.
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14619)
The correct answer choice is (B)
The author states that reader-response theory provides numerous additional, beneficial insights into
understanding a literary text. To weaken that conclusion, the correct answer choice should show that
these insights are somehow harmful or detrimental to understanding a literary work.
Answer choice (A): In lines 44-45, the author writes that “many important works have received varying
interpretations throughout their existence” in order to support the claim that these interpretations can
help us better understand literature. Since this answer choice is a restatement of one of the author’s
premises, it does not weaken the author’s argument.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. This answer choice attacks one of the author’s
proposed advantages of reader-response theory. The author writes that reader-response theory provides
“legitimate additional insights and understandings” (lines 52-53) which are “useful in understanding
the works” (line 57). If these additional insights conflicted with or contradicted one another, or if they
diminished the understanding of a literary work, they would be less useful in understanding the works
and reader-response theory would be weakened.
Answer choice (C): Do not confuse criticisms of a theory with weaknesses in the author’s argument. A
Reading Comprehension author may defend a flawed theory very effectively or advocate a “flawless”
theory very poorly. Also, the most effective authors account for the weaknesses of their theories in their
argumentation. Test takers who are careful to distinguish between theory and argumentation will not be
fooled by incorrect answer choices.
The fact that reader-response theory fails to provide a unified view of the meaning of a work is a
legitimate criticism of the theory by formalists. However, it is not a weakness in the author’s argument
because the author does not claim that good theories should provide a unified view. Instead, he writes
that an effective method “enables the critic to discern and make use of the rich stock of meanings
created in encounters between texts and readers” (lines 37-40). According the author, the lack of unified
meaning is virtue of reader-response theory, not a weakness.
Answer choice (D): The vast majority of test takers recognize this statement as one of the key
characteristics of reader-response theory discussed in paragraph one. Confirming the author’s description
of reader-response theory does not weaken the author’s argumentation.
Answer choice (E): Like answer choice (C), this a criticism advanced by the proponents of formalism.
The author freely admits that many of the meanings are created “only when encountered by individual
readers” (lines 6-7), but the author views the creation of additional meanings as a positive consequence
of reader-response theory.