#25 - Concept Reference, Must Be True, Subject Perspective

[Administrator]

Please post your questions below!

[mttsuddarth]

Hello,

Could someone explain to me why B is right over A? I chose B, but I still don't understand why it's right compared to A.

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, mttsuddarth,

This question asks us what Gilman valued as "an instrument of social progress." We must find evidence in the passage not only to demonstrate that Gilman "valued" or engaged in an activity or idea but also that she valued it specifically as an instrument of social progress.

Let's consider each answer choice.

• A) Is there any evidence in the passage about industrialization per se? No, industrialization is never specifically mentioned. It is outside the scope of the passage.
  
  B) This is the credited response. What does the passage say about fiction writing? In lines 43-46, the passage states Gilman used her fiction writing to urge women to "further social evolution." This idea is synonymous with "social progress." We have an exact match in answer B.
  
  C) There is no evidence about international travel.
  
  D) There is no evidence about religious training.
  
  E) The passage discusses combative personality traits as essential for the past development of complex society. However, there is no evidence to suggest Gilman views such traits as useful to further social progress in the present.

[JasminLys]

Sorry I am still confused with B, although I don't like the other answer choices, either. I guess line 43 - 46 is the support for B? But to my understanding, it seems to suggest an instrument of social progress is "collective working toward a reorganization of society", while "her fiction" is just the medium Gilman used to advocate her opinions about the instrument of social progress, NOT the instrument itself. Can someone please explain?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Jasmin,

You are looking at just the right point in the passage. The key is the active language used in the passage. She wasn't merely engaged in intellectual debate. She's seeking to break molds. It then talks about how she's using her fiction to urge women to reorganize society. Those are all very active verbs that describe her writing as more than just theory. It's active motivation to change the society around them. The fact that she used her fiction to accomplish her task is supported by the surrounding sentences.

Hope that helps!